Integrating Network Digital Twinning into Future AI-based 6G Systems
Tuesday, 3 June 2025, 9:00 – 12:30, room 1.B
Organisers:
- Sébastien Faye (Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, LU)
Motivation and Background
The concept of Network Digital Twinning (i.e., NDT) is emerging as a significant development in next-generation communication systems, with the potential to transform the design, deployment, and operation of 6G networks. Creating a real-time digital replica of the physical network infrastructure enables the creation of a sandbox where models can be trained, and different scenarios can be tested before deployment on physical network controllers. Likewise, this sandbox can also be used for a large number of operations, ranging from network planning, what-if scenario analysis, AI inference and training, and so on. This capability is critical for addressing the growing complexity of 6G architectures, which will integrate AI-native solutions, edge intelligence, and unprecedented levels of network flexibility.
The 2025 EuCNC & 6G Summit offers an ideal platform to advance the conversation on 6G Digital Twinning, uniting academic, industry, and policy stakeholders. This workshop represents a joint effort, co-sponsored by several Horizon Europe SNS JU-funded projects, to collectively address the potential of Network Digital Twins in shaping the future of 6G networks.
Bringing together contributions from 6G-TWIN, SEASON, PREDICT-6G, DESIRE6G, VERGE, DETERMINISTIC6G, 6G-SANDBOX and ACROSS, the workshop will explore diverse and complementary approaches to integrating sustainability, real-time performance, and security into digital twin frameworks.
Each project will highlight its unique perspective, applications in vertical domains (e.g., Emergency Services, Industry 4.0, Smart Cities), and key innovations, ensuring a balanced and collaborative discussion.
This co-sponsored workshop will create a collaborative environment to tackle shared challenges such as interoperability, scalability, and data governance in deploying digital twins for 6G. It will also highlight opportunities for European leadership in this transformative field, ensuring alignment with societal needs while fostering cross-project synergies.
Given its alignment with the core objectives of the 2025 EuCNC & 6G Summit, this workshop will stimulate impactful exchanges, foster new collaborations, and contribute to defining a collective vision for the future of digital twinning in 6G networks.
Structure
09:00 – 09:20: Opening and introduction
The workshop will begin with an introduction by Sébastien Faye (6G-TWIN), the workshop chair. He will provide an overview of the goals and agenda, as well as set the context by highlighting the importance of Network Digital Twins (NDTs) in shaping 6G systems, and come with tangible definitions and state-of-the-art of the topic
09:20 – 10:40: Project presentations
- 6G-TWIN: Sébastien Faye (LIST); Ayat Zaki Hindi (LIST); Simon Pryor (Accelleran)
- SEASON: Luis Velasco (UPC)
- PREDICT-6G: Claudio Casetti (Polito)
- DESIRE6G / Future Network Services: Chrysa Papagianni (University of Amsterdam)
- 6G-SANDBOX: Michael Dieudonne (Keysight Technologies), Pedro Merino (University of Malaga)
- VERGE: Oriol Sallent (UPC)
- DETERMINISTIC6G: Armin Hadziaganovic, Raheeb Muzaffar (Silicon Austria Labs)
- ACROSS: Diego Lopez (Telefonica)
Coffee break
11:00 – 12:00: Interactive session
Following the project pitches, participants will engage in an interactive discussion on key horizontal challenges for 6G Digital Twinning. Topics will include:
- Interoperability across platforms and ecosystems
- Scalability of digital twin deployments
- Data governance, privacy, and security concerns
- Experimental results of candidate 6G technologies in Digital Twin and verification in live network
- Explainability and generalization
- Situational awareness using 6G and cyber-physical systems digital twins
This session will encourage contributions from all attendees, fostering collaboration and exchange of ideas.
12:00 – 12:30: Closing remarks and action plan
The workshop will conclude with a summary of key takeaways and closing remarks, led by Sébastien Faye (6G-TWIN). During this session, participants will collaboratively define an action plan for future collaboration, which may include exploring opportunities for a joint publication to consolidate the workshop’s insights and outcomes.
