Quickly developing, upgrading and deploying applications is the core function of the software and IT industry, often achieved through running software on shared hardware (e.g., on data centers) in order to reduce costs and improve profitability. At this point however, the software world appears stuck with inherently insecure and not-so-efficient lightweight virtualization (e.g., containers), because virtual machines are deemed too expensive to use in many scenarios. Unikernels, extremely lightweight VMs, seem like a step towards a solution, but their overwhelming development time and costs hinder their use in real-world settings. Unicore will challenge this status quo by enabling software developers to easily build and quickly deploy lightweight, secure and verifiable images (which we call unikernels) starting from existing applications. Unicore will create a common code base from which to build unikernels, and develop tools that will make the creation of such unikernels as easy as compiling an app for an existing OS, which will enable EU players to lead the next generation of cloud computing services and technology. Such tools will also allow for the creation of lean, efficient operating systems that would be perfectly suitable for resource-constrained devices settings such as IoT. Through its industry-led consortium and its top-notch academic partners, Unicore will ensure exploitation of its technical results through the implementation and operational deployment of multiple use cases. Unicore addresses the work programme’s goals by (1) providing a common code base and tools for code reusability, (2) by developing tools for verification and validation of the generated software, (3) through transparently handling of cross-platform dependencies and by (4) accelerating the full software lifecycle by fully automating several of its stages.

The large-scale rollout of 5G networks has started becoming a reality, with big vendors deploying 5G network equipment and MNOs being on the verge of its commercialization. However, in parallel to the deployment of such 5G high-performing network, there is an unprecedented urge to support solutions tailored to specific types of networks, capable of offering ubiquitous coverage with high data rate availability, densification and high capillarity of access points to enhance 5G system capacity. Affordable5G aims at creating a 5G network that will deliver a complete and affordable solution covering the needs of private and enterprise networks through technical innovation that span across all parts of 5G network, leveraging cell densification, RU/DU/CU split, hardware acceleration, edge computing and core network virtualization, seamlessly combined with the adoption of open source RAN, MEC and MANO solutions, for cloud-native, micro-service based deployments. To achieve its innovative and ambitious goal, the consortium brings together ten European SMEs, supported by MVNOs, system integrators and research institutes, grasping the opportunity to enhance their products, according to each company’s roadmap, while fostering collaboration among them. In this way, Affordable5G will offer a first-class opportunity to European SMEs to become frontrunners in the global 5G competition, facilitating them in their commercialization paths and strategies in niche market cases of neutral hosting, private networks and MVNOs with new entrant actors. The innovative solution will be evaluated and validated in two vertical pilots related to emergency communications and smart cities, which have been properly selected as being highly representative in terms of system performance, scalability, mobility patterns, slice types, deployment requirements and impact in the future 5G market.

Delivering on the 5G promise of increased data rates, and ubiquitous coverages, poses stringent requirements on traditional vertically integrated operators. In particular, telecom operators are expected to massively roll out Small Cells, which requires finding appropriate urban spaces with both backhaul and energy availability. Network sharing becomes essential to unlock those commercial massive deployments. The open access model, or neutral host, will come to play a key role on the deployment of 5G networks, especially in urban scenarios where very dense Small Cell deploymens are required. In parallel recent trends are paving the way towards the development of new, heterogeneous and distributed cloud paradigms that significantly differ from today’s established cloud model: with edge computing, cloud architectures are pushed all the way to the edge of the network, close to the devices that produce and act on data. We posit that there are two sets of players perfectly poised to take advantage of both trends since they already own the infrastructure needed to build edge deployments: telecommunication providers and municipalities. 5GCity focuses on how common smart city infrastructure (i.e.,small cells and processing power at the very edge of networks) can bring benefit to both players based on resource sharing and end-to-end virtualization, pushing the cloud model to the extreme edge. 5GCity will design, develop, deploy and demonstrate a distributed cloud and radio platform for municipalities and infrastructure owners acting as 5G neutral hosts. 5GCity’s main aim is to build and deploy a common, multi-tenant, open platform that extends the (centralized) cloud model to the extreme edge of the network, with a demonstration in three different cities (Barcelona, Bristol and Lucca). 5GCity will directly impact a large and varied range of actors: (i) telecom providers; (ii) municipalities; and (iii) a number of different vertical sectors utilizing the city infrastructure

The evolution torwards 6G communications brings forth new security and privacy challenges, including, but not, limited to protecting sensitive user data, securing ultra-low latency communication, safeguarding against emerging cyber threats, and ensuring the integrity of the network infrastructure. MARE will contribute to create a reliable 6G services provisioning platform through the definition of a novel security plane built on a well-defined set of open and programmable security functions, delivered as enablers to the 6G architecture, offering transparent, multi-domain/stakeholder security and privacy provisioning, aimed at proactively proposing and assessing candidate strategies to automatically handle attacks and threats in 6G networks. More specifically, MARE innovations pivot on two main contributions: 1. A set of enriched security functions built upon basic primitives, referred to as DOTs, that are composed into programmable security services to maximize security guarantees (Security Plane). 2. A smart “pre-assessment” environment, including simulation, emulation (with NDT) and real infrastructure for systems, users, etc., where security related services and functions are analyzed. In addition, to optimise the scope and coverage of its security enablers, MARE will study and implement a systematic Attacks Modeling Reference Framework for the identification and categorization of the evolving 6G ecosystem threat landscape. The project will demonstrate and validate the efficiency of its novel security plane in 11 PoC setups, corresponding to different 6G threats and security challenges. The MARE solution will be built on -and will be totally compliant with- the architectural concepts for 6G, as defined by European and International initiatives, such as the Hexa-X I/II flagship projects.

Even though the potential of 5G technology is well known, having it massively deployed and available to end-users is not an easy task. To unlock all of 5G’s use cases at scale, smaller radio equipment and antennas (Small Cells) must be deployed in a dense manner across closer to end users. However, there is a catch: it is currently very difficult for MNOs to be able to deploy this equipment at scale, within public spaces. Thus, a major obstacle must be overcome to ultimately unlock massive deployments and adoption: a common platform connecting both Infrastructure Owners (such as, but not limited to, Municipalities) and entities which are in dire need of having proper licensing and authorisation to install new or exploit readyto-be-used 5G equipment, easing the process for site acquisition, asset and network management, in the most transparent and simple way. 5GaaS intends to develop and launch a new product in the form of a decentralised marketplace for the telecom ecosystem, under a new Joint Venture. This new platform is the culmination of three major components, two of them currently already available in the market : a centralised marketplace for site leasing and tenant management, from Ubiwhere, and dRAX, from Accelleran, an interoperable, standards-based and software-focused implementation of 5G networks. The other innovative component will come out of H2020 5GCity project, to which 5GaaS partners have collaboratively contributed to by building an automated 5G network slicing engine for Neutral Hosts. 5GaaS expands these layers, implementing a decentralised marketplace connecting the whole 5G value-chain of stakeholders such as MNOs, site owners, system integrators and hardware and software vendors, using blockchain technology. During the project, the consortium will focus on pilot activities to showcase the benefits and capabilities of said platform, having it deployed across a total of 25 sites, in 5 different European cities.