Scientists:	Manuel Simon, M.Sc., Eric Hauser, Sebastian Gallenmüller, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Georg Carle
Duration:	15.08.2021 – 31.12.2029
Funding:	Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space

Abstract

TUM and the Technical University of Dresden have joined forces to form the 6G-life research hub to drive cutting-edge research for future 6G communication networks with a focus on human-machine collaboration. The merger of the two universities of excellence combines their world-leading preliminary work in the field of Tactile Internet in the Cluster of Excellence CeTI, 5G communication networks, quantum communication, Post-Shannon theory, artificial intelligence methods, and adaptive and flexible hardware and software platforms.

Phase II

As part of the High-tech Agenda Germany, the Federal Misistry for Research, Technology and Space has released its “6G Roadmap 2025 - 2030” on December 29, 2025. Key element are four 6G Transfer Hubs. One of them is our successful research project 6G-life, which enters its second funding phase on January 1, 2026 for further four years of funding. As before, the main partners of 6G-life are Technical University of Dresden and Technical University of Munich.

Future research by “6G-life²” goes beyond pure communication and integrates computing as the basis for new business models. In computing, the focus is on energy-efficient and fast calculation methods, enabling numerous applications to function in real-time. This includes important topics such as the industrial metaverse, i.e., virtual and digital representations of factories and working environments, as well as robotics, sensor technology, and motion mechanisms for human-machine interaction.

Another key component of the second funding phase of “6G-life²” is the construction of a complete demonstrator. Its purpose is not only to examine whether the technologies developed function reliably, but also to test new applications and clearly illustrate the advantages of 6G.

Phase I

6G-life will provide new approaches for sustainability, such as the Post-Shannon theory, to decouple the relationship between data volumes and energy consumption as far as possible. 6G-life will provide new concepts for security (quantum communication, post-quantum security, and protocols) and resilience (artificial intelligence methods to control in-network computing, resilience against denial-of-service attacks). Current latencies in communication networks are still too high for critical use cases. 6G-life will provide solutions for this.

6G-life will significantly stimulate industry and the startup landscape in Germany through positive showcase projects and thus sustainably strengthen digital sovereignty in Germany. Test fields for two use cases will drive research and economic stimulation. The goal is to create at least 10 new startups through 6G-life in the first four years and involve at least 30 startups. 6G-life will significantly contribute to the creation of a skilled workforce. In addition, 6G-life has set itself the task of accompanying the population in the digital transformation and thus making a contribution to society.

Official Website

• 6G-life