NextGCom 2026 convenes 6G research community in Kefalonia

Participants at NextGCom 2026 in Kefalonia, Greece

Researchers, academics, and industry specialists gathered in Argostoli, Kefalonia, Greece, on September 28–30, 2026, for the Next Generation Communications Conference (NextGCom 2026). The international forum served as a dedicated venue to examine advanced wireless technologies, network intelligence, and architectural trajectories defining future 6G ecosystems.

Supported by the one6G Association, the three-day program encompassed eight technical sessions, three keynote addresses, a technical tutorial, two special sessions, and the ISAC-NEWTON project workshop. The agenda centered on primary research frontiers including AI-driven networking, Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), Internet of Things (IoT) frameworks, and network security.

Keynote Addresses and Technical Tracks Focus on AI-Native Architectures and ISAC

Dr. Aryan Kaushik delivering his keynote on integrated sensing and communications for 6G

The conference technical program opened with keynote addresses framing core system requirements and emerging technologies for next-generation communications:

• Prof. Dimitrios Koutsonikolas addressed fundamental protocol and architectural requirements for emerging multi-gigabit wireless systems.

• Dr. Aryan Kaushik presented research on Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC), examining signal processing architectures and mutual performance trade-offs for 6G deployments.

• Prof. Slawomir Stanczak examined the design of AI-native 6G networks, focusing on the convergence of distributed learning, model-driven optimization, and intelligent resource allocation.

Prof. Slawomir Stanczak presenting his keynote on AI-native 6G networks

Across eight technical sessions, delegates presented peer-reviewed research spanning intelligent infrastructure, cross-layer optimization, dynamic resource management, and emerging radio access frameworks. Discussions underscored the transition toward autonomous, AI-managed network operations capable of dynamically balancing spectral efficiency, latency, and computational demands.

ISAC-NEWTON Workshop: Sensing Integration and Responsible 6G Development

Held on September 28–29 in conjunction with the main conference, the ISAC-NEWTON workshop examined specific integration paths for joint sensing and communication capabilities.

The session brought together domain specialists—including Michel Goudelis, Pavlos Lazaridis, Marianthe Stavridou, Nikolaos Igoumenidis, Bowman Heiden, and Dr. Spyridon Louvros—to evaluate physical-layer designs, system architectures, and standardization roadmaps. As part of this program, Dr. Spyridon Louvros delivered a targeted tutorial detailing 3GPP standardization timelines and technical specifications governing ISAC evolution beyond 5G-Advanced.

Dr. Spyridon Louvros delivering a tutorial on 3GPP standardization and integrated sensing and communication

Crucially, the workshop expanded beyond physical-layer performance to evaluate framework requirements for responsible AI implementation in telecommunications. Delegates addressed trust, algorithmic transparency, governance, and accountability in AI-enabled autonomous networks—reinforcing that trustworthy deployment models must accompany high-performance architectures.

Research Excellence Recognized in Edge Offloading and Sensing Precision

Best Paper Award recipient Longkun Li with NextGCom General Co-Chair Prof. Periklis Chatzimisios

NextGCom 2026 formally recognized technical contributions advancing key architectural areas through its peer-reviewed conference awards:

• Best Paper Award: Awarded to Longkun Li and Evangelos Pournaras for “Modeling Edge-to-Cloud Offloading Workloads for Autonomous Vehicles,” which provides critical empirical modeling on distributed compute allocation and latency boundaries in high-mobility vehicular networks.

• Best Student Paper Award: Awarded to Theodoros Tsiftelidis and Athanasios C. Iossifides for “Ghost Target Analysis of Frequency Domain DM-RS Mappings in 5G NR ISAC and Beyond,” resolving ambiguities in reference signal design to eliminate false target detection in integrated radar-communication deployments.

Best Student Paper Award recipient Theodoros Tsiftelidis with TPC Co-Chair Dr. Aggeliki Sgora and General Co-Chair Prof. Periklis Chatzimisios

Advancing Academic–Industry Alignment in 6G Specifications

NextGCom 2026 was organized by the Department of Digital Media and Communication at the Ionian University in collaboration with Technology for Society, with formal endorsement and technical support from one6G.

By actively supporting foundational technical venues like NextGCom 2026, one6G reinforces the alignment between academic research, standardization bodies, and industrial deployment roadmaps. Interdisciplinary exchanges across sensing-communication co-design, distributed edge offloading, and AI governance ensure that emerging 6G standards directly reflect the rigorous technical, environmental, and operational demands of future digital infrastructures.