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The transition to 6G represents a fundamental shift in digital infrastructure. Networks are evolving from passive data transport systems into intelligent, programmable platforms that seamlessly integrate communication, computation and artificial intelligence. Future systems will need to operate autonomously, adapt dynamically and deliver services that are trustworthy, context-aware and resilient.
Such a transformation is essential to address the growing complexity and criticality of emerging applications in mobility, digital health, industry and public infrastructure. These domains demand not only speed and coverage, but also guarantees on latency, continuity, security and decision-making capacity – often at the edge, close to users and devices.
At the European level, research and innovation roadmaps are accelerating to secure strategic leadership in 6G and beyond. Luxembourg, with its strong emphasis on research excellence, experimentation and public-private collaboration, is well-positioned to play a central role in shaping this future.
The Distributed & Intelligent Connectivity (DISCO) group explores how future 6G and beyond 6G systems can integrate communication, computation and artificial intelligence into intelligent, distributed and scalable infrastructures, applications and services. Its work focuses on designing adaptive, programmable networks capable of delivering resilient, low-latency services across the edge-cloud continuum.
The group’s research addresses key challenges such as intelligent and exposure-aware network planning, mission-critical and cross-border communication, real-time autonomy through network digital twins and self-adaptive systems, and decentralized intelligence across connected vehicles, edge nodes and cloud platforms. Its work is driven by the ambition to help shape the next generation of connected systems and to establish itself as a European reference in the field by 2030.
The group focuses on enabling AI- and data-driven networking solutions that combine automation, resilience and trust. These capabilities are applied across several verticals from connected and automated mobility, digital health, robotics, smart cities and industrial systems – all requiring tightly integrated, context-aware and intelligent digital infrastructures.
By bridging system-level innovation with distributed intelligence, the group contributes to Europe’s strategic leadership in 6G and beyond.
To address the technical, societal and operational complexity of future networked systems, the Distributed & Intelligent Connectivity group structures its research into three interrelated clusters that reflect both the group’s horizontal capabilities and the vertical demands of real-world applications. Together, these clusters support the design of intelligent, resilient and scalable infrastructures by bridging network architecture, distributed intelligence and service orchestration. This structure enables contributions across multiple layers of the connectivity stack – from physical planning and autonomous control to context-aware and service-driven computing – while maintaining a coherent vision of integrated, end-to-end systems.
This cluster focuses on the design and deployment of dense, heterogeneous and mission-critical networks. Research addresses exposure-aware and performance-driven planning, the optimization of emerging network topologies such as cell-free and infrastructure-less systems, and mobility management for dynamic, safety-critical environments. The group explores how connectivity can adapt to user density, coverage gaps and regulatory constraints, fostering sustainable and responsive infrastructures. A recent example is OPTIWAVE, which applies AI-driven optimization to support the planning of networks subject to (EMF) exposure constraints
This cluster investigates how to embed autonomy and intelligence into network operations. Research covers the development of digital twins for real-time monitoring and control, AI-based adaptation mechanisms and self-aware systems capable of learning and reconfiguration with minimal human intervention. Through federated learning and closed-loop automation, the group explores how networks can become predictive, self-optimizing infrastructures. A key example is the European 6G-TWIN project, coordinated by LIST, which has been selected among a limited number of initiatives to shape future network architectures. The project addresses AI-native control through network digital twinning.
This cluster explores decentralized computing and collaborative intelligence across mobile, edge and cloud resources. Research focuses on edge AI, distributed decision-making frameworks and service orchestration for latency-sensitive and safety-critical use cases. Topics include ultra-reliable low-latency communications (xURLLC), mobile computing and device-edge-cloud collaboration in areas such as connected mobility, vehicular communications, robotics and health systems. The use of blockchain is also investigated to support secure, traceable and trusted service interactions across distributed infrastructures. SmartSpires illustrates this approach, deploying edge-enabled infrastructure to support AI-based services across mobility and IoT applications. AGAPE exemplifies the integration of edge computing in active and healthy ageing services, providing a platform for personalized coaching and monitoring of older adults through localized data processing and user-centric service orchestration.
The group’s expertise is applied across domains such as connected and automated mobility, digital health, industrial IoT and urban infrastructure. These applications rely on intelligent networking capabilities that combine connectivity with distributed sensing, computing and trust. The team collaborates actively with all three mobile network operators in Luxembourg and plays a strategic role in aligning national activities with European priorities. A key objective is also to establish the Belval innovation campus as a reference testbed for research and experimentation in advanced connectivity.
As of 2025, the group represents LIST within both the 6G Industry Association (6G-IA) and Networld Europe – two key entities steering the European 6G roadmap. Through these channels, the group contributes to shaping European research agendas, coordinating with key public and private actors and accelerating the development and adoption of intelligent, next-generation connectivity systems.
Watch more about the 6G-TWIN project
Find out more about COMBO and autonomous, connected vehicles
Ai-aided deCision tool for seamless mUltiModal nEtwork and traffic managemeNt
Optimal integration of connected and automated shuttles with passenger and freight transport systems
5G Emission Monitoring Platform
A Reference Functional Architecture for Network Digital Twins in 6G Systems
Zaki-Hindi A., Soto P., Castellanos G., Pritom T.H., Volpe G., Zellagui I., Hensel B., Jimenez J., Marvulli M., Santos L., Sayin A., Sottet J.S., Ali W., El-Korbi I., Turcanu I., Belogaev A., Duarte A., Kelly U., Kumar S., Myagkov G., Parker S., Franke M., Hossain S., Sanyal R., Shafi N., Sommer C., Camelo M., Baudouin J., Decorme R., Fanti M.P., Fuladi R., Murphy C., Pereira A., Senouci S.M., Pryor S., Faye S.
IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society, vol. 7, pp. 2068-2101, 2026
Impact of Geometry and Satellite Mobility on Handover Strategies for Remote Driving
Avino G., Franke M., Pardo E., Sommer C., Turcanu I.
Annual Conference on Wireless on Demand Network Systems and Services Wons, n° 2026, pp. 29-36, 2026
Poster: 5G-CriCo Vision for MCx on 5G Standalone
Pardo E., Avino G., Roth U., Jaziri M., Faye S., Pallotta A., Casel J.P.
ACM Mobicom 2025 Proceedings of the 2025 the 31st Annual International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking, pp. 1335-1337, 2025