About
Overview and objectives
To make the next generation of mobile networks (6G) a reality, a massive leap forward is required. Future applications, such as real-time holographic communications, smart city sensors, and self-driving vehicles, require networks to be incredibly fast and reliable. However, using today’s technology to power these demands would require an unsustainable amount of energy.
MULTIPLY-6G is designed to solve this bottleneck
Funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme and backed by the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU), the project brings together leading experts from across Europe to build a smarter, cleaner foundation for 6G.
Instead of just building larger, more power-hungry hardware, the focus is on a concept called the “multiplicative effect”. By redesigning both the invisible radio signals (waveforms) and the physical antennas (MIMO arrays) to work in perfect harmony, the project multiplies network performance while dramatically slashing the overall energy footprint.
Key Areas of Innovation
Smarter Radio Waves
The development of advanced signal technologies that can smoothly handle massive amounts of data, even at high-speed travel up to 1,000 km/h.
Green Connectivity
The ultimate goal is to make 6G networks 100 times more energy-efficient than 5G, ensuring a sustainable digital future.
Next-Gen Antennas
The creation of flat, ultra-efficient holographic antennas that focus signals directly at the user to cut down on wasted energy.
Seamless Integration
Everything is built to plug directly into open industry standards (Open RAN) and remain fully compatible with existing 5G devices.
To make 6G a reality, the focus is split across seven main goals:
Methodology and Technical Approach
MULTIPLY-6G adopts a structured, closed-loop methodology designed to transition ground-breaking radio frequency concepts out of the laboratory and into practical network architectures. The technical framework balances fundamental physics with real-world system integration, ensuring theoretical advances are validated through hardware testbeds and contributed directly to global standards.
The Technical Framework
The research methodology flows across four integrated technical phases:
Architecture & Requirements
Establishing operational use-case parameters, baseline system architectures, and realistic near-field channel models to define core performance indicators (KPIs).
Physical Layer Innovation (PHY)
Developing multi-dimensional waveforms represented across the delay, Doppler, and wavenumber domains, alongside near-field spherical wavefront processing and Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) algorithms.
AI-Native Networking & Resource Management
Designing energy-efficient Medium Access Control (MAC) protocols, dynamic cell-sleep state orchestration, and AI-driven Radio Resource Management (RRM) within disaggregated Open RAN (O-RAN) architectures.
Experimental Validation & Standards
Executing Software-Defined Radio (SDR) hardware campaigns, generating open-access datasets, and delivering technical contributions to 3GPP, ETSI, and Open RAN working groups.
Core Methodology Pillars
Multi-Dimensional Waveforms
Represents channels across delay, Doppler, and wavenumber domains to suppress interference and maintain stability in extreme mobility scenarios.
AI-Native RRM & Open RAN
Deploys machine learning across disaggregated O-RAN interfaces to manage spectrum, classify interference, and orchestrate energy-saving cell-sleep states.
Integrated Sensing & Communication (ISAC)
Uses near-field spherical wavefronts and XL-MIMO beamfocusing to combine high-precision spatial sensing with communications without extra spectrum.
Closed-Loop Validation
Uses data from Software-Defined Radio (SDR) testbeds to continually recalibrate theoretical models via a Measurement-Informed Simulation Toolbox.
Expected Impact
MULTIPLY-6G focuses on building a practical, commercially viable bridge between early-stage laboratory research and actual market adoption. By aligning standardisation efforts directly with physical prototypes and Open RAN (O-RAN) integration, the project ensures that high-level 6G concepts transition smoothly into the networks of tomorrow.
Pillars of Impact
Scientific
Key Technical Outputs
- Multi-dimensional delay-Doppler-wavenumber waveforms
- Open-access datasets & Measurement-Informed Simulation Toolbox
- Direct contributions to 3GPP RAN1 and IEEE NEW-SIG
Real-World Value
Advances fundamental radio physics and provides the international research community with reproducible, open-source validation tools.
Economic and Technological
Key Technical Outputs
- Disaggregated Open RAN (O-RAN) architecture integration
- Plug-and-play multi-vendor interoperability
- Full 5G (3GPP) backward compatibility
Real-World Value
De-risks operator investments, lowers CAPEX and OPEX, and prevents costly “rip-and-replace” infrastructure overhauls.
Societal and Sustainability
Key Technical Outputs
- AI-native resource management & cell-sleep state orchestration
- Reduced transmission power and circuit energy draw
- Integrated Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Network (TN/NTN) links
Real-World Value
Directly supports European Green Deal targets and bridges the digital divide for underserved rural communities and emergency response zones.
Pillars of Impact
To ensure these innovations have the widest possible reach, the project activities are structured to benefit six Target Groups across the telecom ecosystem:
Academia, Researchers, and Projects
Gaining direct access to open-source simulation tools, large reproducible datasets, and future-proof architectures to compare waveform designs and collaborate on 6G research.
Telecom Operators and Infrastructure Providers
Benefiting from expanded network capabilities and lower operational energy consumption through backward-compatible solutions that integrate smoothly with existing 4G and 5G hardware.
Technology Vendors
Collaborating on open data models to speed up the development of next-generation, interoperable 6G platforms, including advanced location-awareness and environmental sensing services.
SMEs, Developers, and Integrators
Operating within an open, low-barrier ecosystem that allows smaller companies and startups to design niche software applications and services for the evolving 6G market.
Open Source and Standards Developing Organisations (SDOs)
Using validated, data-driven technical reports to directly inform gap analyses and guide physical-layer standardisation within ETSI, 3GPP, and Open RAN working groups.
Industrial Associations and Technology Clusters (including 6G-IA)
Utilising project outcomes as accelerators to promote European technical leadership, drive the broad adoption of 6G technologies, and strengthen regional strategic autonomy.
Workplan
The MULTIPLY-6G project is structured into six interconnected Work Packages that drive the research from fundamental concepts through to physical validation and global standardisation:
WP1
Project Management
Oversees administrative, financial, and technical coordination across the entire consortium. WP1 ensures smooth project execution, quality assurance, risk management, and the timely delivery of key project milestones and data management plans.
WP2
Reference scenarios, channel models and architecture
Defines the operational use cases, baseline system architecture, and channel models. WP2 establishes the foundational framework and key requirements that guide all subsequent technical developments across the project.
WP3
Backward-Compatible Physical Layer Waveform Design for Communications and Sensing based on Multi-Dimensional Signal Processing
Researches and develops physical-layer innovations, focusing on backward-compatible multi-domain waveforms, near-field channel estimation, multi-beam focusing, holographic (XL) antennas, and integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) frameworks.
WP4
Multidimensional enhanced MAC layer and radio resource management
Designs enhanced MAC layer algorithms and asynchronous access protocols alongside AI-driven radio resource management. WP4 focuses on energy-efficient cell sleep management, interference classification, and cloud-assisted network-wide coordination.
WP5
Simulation and Experimental Validation of 6G Test Scenarios
Executes scenario-driven simulation campaigns and experimental validation. WP5 develops dedicated simulation toolboxes, generates open experimental datasets, and conducts comparative tests between simulations and hardware testbeds.
WP6
Communication, Dissemination, Exploitation & Standardisation
Drives the external reach and commercial adoption of project outputs through structured communication campaigns, intellectual property exploitation, synergy reports, and targeted contributions to international standardisation bodies.
Partners
The MULTIPLY-6G consortium is composed of 14 partners from 8 European countries: Ireland, Turkey, Germany, Greece, Sweden, Spain, Denmark and the United Kingdom.
