The Imagine-B5G project has been selected as one of the Top-10 Key Achievements of 2025 by the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU), recognising its contribution to advancing 6G technologies. This accolade highlights the project’s impact in demonstrating next-generation network capabilities in real-world operational environments.
Imagine-B5G’s key achievement, ‘Real-World Validation of (B)5G Capabilities for Port Operations,’ demonstrated for the first time the use of 5G in a busy, operational port supporting multiple simultaneous critical applications. By integrating AI/ML, AR, drones, remote vehicles, and network slicing, the project showed how port operations can become safer, faster, and greener.
The project addressed key operational challenges, including improving safety, reducing downtime, and lowering emissions through real-time monitoring and remote-guided maintenance. Continuous connectivity for mobile assets across private and public 5G networks was ensured, enabling smooth and efficient operations. Beyond immediate benefits, the work also lays the foundation for autonomous operations, digital twins, and next-generation port logistics, offering a blueprint transferable to other critical infrastructure sectors.
Integration of Advanced Facilities into a Unified B5G Platform
In addition to its top-10 achievement, Imagine-B5G successfully integrated four advanced experimental 5G facilities across Norway, Spain, France, and Portugal into a unified, end-to-end platform for Beyond 5G (B5G) trials. This platform enables large-scale, real-life experimentation, exposing developer – and vertical – facing APIs, and supporting new vertical use cases.
Each facility brings unique capabilities: the Norwegian site, led by Telenor, approaches commercial readiness; the Spanish sites include urban, port, and rural environments with diverse radio technologies; the French EURECOM site is fully open-source and highly flexible; and the Portuguese site provides robust orchestration and integration capabilities. Together, these sites form a versatile, multi-national infrastructure for agile development, testing, and validation of B5G innovations, setting a precedent for scalable European experimentation platforms.
Beyond 5G Validation Across Verticals and Use Cases
Another significant achievement of Imagine-B5G has been the large-scale validation of B5G technologies through 45 open-call projects spanning seven verticals: Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR), Media & Entertainment, eHealth, Education, Transport & Logistics, Industry 4.0, and Smart Agriculture. These projects implemented 25 real-world use cases, demonstrating advanced 5G capabilities such as network slicing, edge-cloud computing, ultra-low latency, and network API exposure.
Each use case combined technical validation with assessments of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Key Value Indicators (KVIs), and sector-specific business models, providing a holistic understanding of B5G adoption potential. This integrated approach showcases both the technical maturity and cross-sector relevance of B5G solutions, offering a framework for scaling innovations from experimentation to real-world deployment.
Advancing Next-Generation Networks Across Sectors
Through these achievements, Imagine-B5G demonstrates the potential of next-generation network technologies to transform critical infrastructure and industrial operations across multiple sectors. The project’s work supports the adoption of private 5G networks, enables sustainable and autonomous operations, and strengthens Europe’s leadership in advanced digital and industrial technologies, paving the way for innovation beyond individual industries or locations.
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