I have to say that as the chairman of CELTIC-NEXT, I am very proud of this new edition of the CELTIC-NEXT Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA). The work on renewing the CELTIC-NEXT SRIA started from the realisation that Europe currently faces profound socioeconomic, environmental and political challenges that go well beyond the technical performance of any single technology. In this context, the transition from 5G to 6G has the potential to integrate digital infrastructures with smart environments, energy-efficient systems, and AI-driven services, creating networks that are not only faster but also more intelligent, ethical, inclusive, sustainable, and human-centric.

Achieving this vision requires EUREKA countries to address multiple, interlinked priorities: embedding sustainability at the core of network design, empowering citizens through trustworthy digital services, enabling advanced smart cities and industries, and safeguarding technological and industrial competitiveness in a rapidly evolving global landscape.

The CELTIC-NEXT holistic vision, which emphasises collaborative, cross-sector innovation, is based on an end-to-end approach to communications and ICT technology development that aligns the vision of future ICT services with real-world business and societal needs. Our renewed SRIA shows this long-term strategic approach to align Europe’s digital infrastructure with societal goals and global competitiveness but also maps potential paths for maintaining significant positive societal, economic, and environmental impacts, while also advocating for European leadership and sovereignty in critical technology areas.

This new edition of the CELTIC-NEXT SRIA explains the long-term logic of actions to be undertaken by the CELTIC-NEXT participants and supported by the Member States for the next six years. It gives the ICT industry, and the ICT consumers, the freedom and the context to propose projects reflecting their current priorities while also supporting the underlying principles, logic and pathways of the short-, medium- or long-term CELTIC-NEXT SRIA Roadmaps.

But it is probably simpler to understand this CELTIC-NEXT SRIA 2026–2032 as a call to action.

The CELTIC-NEXT community now has the chance to lead globally in building networks that are trustworthy, sustainable, and human centric. By aligning research, industry, and policy, the CELTIC-NEXT programme can ensure that 6G and future digital infrastructure technologies become pillars of a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable digital society.

This SRIA is definitely worth reading – and you should be planning your projects now!!

Further information – https://www.celticnext.eu/strategic-roadmap/