Workshop on Novel Antenna Designs and Manufacturing Challenges for 6G Communications

Recently, the research community and the standardization bodies have started to discuss what the Sixth-Generation (6G) of wireless communications should be. It is envisioned that 6G mobile communications revolution the communication sector by proposing novel communication paradigms, and novel uses to connect not only people or devices -as in 5G- but providing the network with intelligence able to identify, localize or sense their environment.

Novel antenna designs should be envisioned for 6G systems, as they should operate at higher frequencies and different environments. Besides, they should interact with a great diversity of materials and should be low-cost and sustainable for massive production. In this line, novel antennas using low-cost materials and advanced manufacturing techniques have been investigated in the last years, and some interesting solutions have been recently proposed. Metasurfaces, intelligent reflective surfaces (IRS) and smart lenses can be found as promising candidates for the next generation systems at the 6G radio interface. Additive manufacturing techniques like inkjet-printing or 3D printing in novel materials, together with advanced technologies for wave guiding in 6G have recently attracted increased interest for the new systems. As the systems increase their operating frequency, several challenges arise from the fabrication and the antenna design. In this context, the availability of materials whose complex permittivity can be engineered for an optimal design of 6G devices and applications pays also an important role.