CONASENSE is a research initiative focused on advancing communications technologies, via regular and interdisciplinary brainstorming on 6G main areas of research. It is an open, collaborative and volunteer effort involving researchers, industry experts, and other stakeholders worldwide. Its ultimate goal is to provide the required technical support to develop innovative, human-centric sustainable services backed up by advanced communication systems.
To provide advancement towards 6G, the 6G CONASENSE platform has as main technical priorities for 2023-2027 to address the following challenges:
- Integration of context-awareness into computational and networking systems. 6G end-user devices are carried and controlled by persons. Social behaviour (e.g., mobility behaviour, daily patterns of use) can be considered to improve the overall networking aspects, including energy efficiency. Context is therefore a relevant aspect to address, to reach a high degree of automation.
- Mobility support. Considering that 6G infrastructures are a networked system of systems covering terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, it is important to provide advanced mobility management (and estimation) support to 6G systems.
- Adaptation and Learning. At the core of 6G is cognition, supported by AI/ML systems. In addition to a need to define interfacing (from the 6G control and data planes, to an AI/ML based cognition plane), it is necessary to address the support for constrains such as use of embedded devices at the far Edge; intermittent connectivity; interference.
- Joint computation and networking. The networking infrastructure of 6G (system of systems) needs to be more fleible, intent and context-driven, i.e., the network should be seen and worked upon as being a single system.
In terms of supported areas, and in addition to debate on interdisciplinary approaches to the aforementioned knowledge areas, CONASENSE expects to provide contributions to the following 6G dimensions:
- International trend-scouting
- Global Perspective: Understanding global trends in technology, markets, and societal factors is crucial for identifying emerging opportunities and challenges in the 6G landscape.
- Competitive Intelligence: Gathering information on the research and development activities of competitors can help CONASENSE maintain a competitive edge.
- Interdisciplinary research topics
- Collaboration: Fostering collaboration between researchers from different disciplines (e.g., computer science, engineering, social sciences) can lead to innovative and holistic solutions.
- Cross-fertilization: Encouraging the exchange of ideas and knowledge across different fields can drive new research directions and applications.
- Use cases
- Real-World Applications: Identifying and analyzing potential use cases for 6G technologies can help prioritize research efforts and ensure that the network meets the needs of end-users.
- Business Models: Exploring new business models and revenue streams associated with 6G applications can contribute to the economic viability of the technology.
- Sustainability and Requirements
- Environmental Impact: Assessing the environmental impact of 6G technologies and developing sustainable solutions is essential for addressing climate change concerns.
- Ethical Considerations: Considering the ethical implications of 6G technologies, such as privacy, security, and social equity, is crucial for responsible development.
- Standardisation
- Interoperability: Promoting standardization can ensure compatibility and interoperability between different 6G systems and devices.
- Global Adoption: Developing global standards can facilitate the widespread adoption and deployment of 6G technologies.