New Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking Calls opened

The Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) has launched its first Calls on 18 January. Officially established in November 2021 via the publication of the Council Regulation 2021/2085 as one of the 10 European Partnerships to step up the green and digital transition, the SNS JU sets out an ambitious mission and an EU budget of € 900 million for 2021-2027 period.

The SNS R&I Work Programme 2021-2022 has been published here. The SRIA “Smart Networks in the context of NGI” has been released on September 2020 and can be downloaded here.

SNS JU Mission

The SNS JU has two main missions:

1. Fostering Europe’s technology sovereignty in 6G by implementing the related research and innovation (R&I) programme leading to the conception and standardisation around 2025.
2. Boosting 5G deployment in Europe in view of developing digital lead markets and enabling the digital and green transition of the economy and society.

The Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking also supports technological sovereignty for Europe.

More on the SNS JU missions here.

SNS – ECS: Linking topics

Some topics may be of interest for the ECS community participants such as (but ot exhaustive):

• Flexible hardware platforms supporting virtualization and programmability in a fully distributed edge environment, including hardware accelerators
• Hardware acceleration for open connectivity solutions
• Advanced fully distributed AI/ML solutions for network virtualization (cloud, deep edge, end devices,…)
• Intelligent reflecting surfaces and large intelligent surface targeting cell-free mMIMO
• Transceivers for higher spectral efficiency, improved power consumption, high density digital logic, chip-package-antenna co-design
• Human friendly radio systems (handle increased density, higher frequency ranges, control EMF)
• Self-powered and energy harvesting devices, ultra low power IoT, Tactile IoT, on-IoT device AI solutions
• Nano-things networking (nano materials and non-network architecture components)

SNS JU Calls 2022 timeline

• All SNS JU Calls 2021 opened 18 January 2022
• Full Project Proposal – FPP – must be submitted by 26 April 2022, at 17:00:00 Brussels time
• One stage process with direct FPP
• RIA are funded 100% for non-for-profit organisations and 90% for profit organisations
• IA are funded 100% for non-for-profit organisations and 70% for profit organisations
• CSA are funded 100% for non-for-profit organisations and 90% for profit organisations

SNS JU Calls 2022 content and budget

To get a complete overview of the 16 SNS JU Calls, including the streams C and D (for pilot lines and infrastructures), as well as to submit to the Calls, please visit the “Funding and tenders” page of the European Commission website.