one6G Summit 2025 – Event report
On September 18-19, 2025, one6G held the fifth edition of its flagship event–one6G Summit. The event was organized as part of the Bologna Communication Week and held at the historic Palazzo Re Enzo in Bologna, Italy. It brought together 35 distinguished speakers from leading research institutions, international industry forums, and both public and private organizations to discuss the future of connectivity under the theme “6G Innovation: Setting the Standards for Tomorrow.” The event welcomed 188 participants from 24 countries, underscoring its truly international scope.
The evening before the event officially began, participants were invited to a welcome reception with live music at Palazzo Re Enzo, the same venue as the conference. This gathering provided a perfect opportunity to connect with fellow attendees in a relaxed atmosphere while enjoying the unique ambiance of one of Bologna’s most iconic landmarks.
The one6G Summit 2025 featured seven comprehensive sessions, providing attendees with a deep dive into the technological, economic, and societal aspects of next-generation connectivity. In addition to the rich conference program, the event featured an exhibition area with 13 unique demonstrations, offering attendees hands-on insight into cutting-edge 6G technologies, applications, and research and innovation projects. Exhibitors had a chance to present short pitches on the main event stage, providing context for each demonstration and inviting participants to engage with the technology up close. Demonstrations were accessible throughout both days during coffee breaks and networking sessions, allowing attendees to explore the solutions in depth and interact directly with the teams behind them. Adding a competitive edge to the exhibition, attendees were invited to vote for the most impactful demonstrations. Their choices were revealed during the Best Demo Awards ceremony, where three demos were honored with the awards.
Highlights from Day 1
The event opened with welcoming remarks from Nancy Alonistioti, the Association’s Chair and Associate Professor at National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and Andrea Conti, Co-Director of WiLab, which helped organize the event. Their remarks set a positive and ambitious tone for the day, highlighting the importance of collaboration in shaping the future of 6G. They expressed their excitement for the insightful discussions and networking opportunities ahead, emphasizing the one6G Summit’s role in bringing together leading experts to tackle key challenges on the path toward 6G.
Then, Session 1: Global 6G Strategies and Initiatives moderated by Monique Calisti, the CEO of Martel Innovate & President of Digital for Planet, set the stage with perspectives from across the world, including:
- Uwe Löwenstein (ITU-R): ITU-R Status Update on WRC and IMT-2030
- David Boswarthick (ETSI): Accelerating European 6G Research into Global Standards
- Abdulhadi AbouAlmal (ASMG): Roadmap for 6G in the Arab World
- Gerhard Fettweis (Technical University of Dresden): Make It or Break It
- KyungHi Chang (6G Forum): Recent Progress of 6G R&D in Korea
- Enrico Buracchini (3GPP): 6G Roadmap and Status in 3GPP RAN
Once the presentations in Session 1 have concluded, the speakers engaged in a lively Panel Discussion: Global 6G Outlook, moderated by Roberto Verdone, Director of WiLab.
The afternoon program began with special welcoming remarks by local dignitary Rosa Grimaldi, Deputy Mayor of Bologna and Roberto Verdone, Director of WiLab.
Then, Session 3: Industry Perspective on 6G, moderated by Narcís Cardona, Director, iTEAM, Technical University of Valencia, brought forward the viewpoints of industry leaders, with interesting presentations from Wen Tong (Huawei Wireless), Itsuma Tanaka (DOCOMO Communications Laboratories Europe), Taro Eichler (Rohde & Schwarz), and Sparsh Singhal (NGMN Alliance).
Session 4: 6G for Autonomy, moderated by Walter Weigel, a Honorary Professor at Technical University of Munich, concluded the first day, with insights into communications for robotics, AI, and safe cooperative autonomy, presented by Juha Röning (euRobotics) and Barbara M. Masini (CNR Italy).
Highlights from Day 2
Day 2 opened with remarks from Mohammad Shikh-Bahaei, President of the Association and Professor at King’s College London.
Session 5: Cutting-Edge Technologies Part I – Network Digital Twin, moderated by Andrea Conti, Co-Director of WiLab, explored visions and applications of digital twin technology with contributions from Riccardo Marini (CNIT/WiLab), Sławomir Stańczak (TU Berlin & Fraunhofer), Stefan Leutenegger (ETH Zurich), and Berk Canberk (Edinburgh Napier University).
Session 6: Cutting-Edge Technologies Part II – 6G Native AI, moderated by Periklis Chatzimisios, Professor at International Hellenic University, focused on the integration of AI into next-generation networks, with talks from Lina Bariah (Khalifa University), Geoffrey Ye Li (Imperial College London), Mattia Lecci (Keysight Technologies), and Ray Forbes (ETSI).
Session 7: 6G Ecosystem, moderated by Xueli An, one6G WG3 Vice-Chair and Head of 6G Network Architecture Research Group at Huawei, featured updates on the one6G Association’s work, including the release of two new white papers: the 5th edition of the “6G Technology Overview” and “Towards 6G-Enabled Digital Twins: Technical Recommendations,” as well as presentations from Javan Erfanian (GTI Alliance) and Henk Verkerk (Electronic Communications Committee).
You can find some of the presented slides here.
The participants were then invited to the Best Demo Awards ceremony, during which the three winners were announced (read more about the award-winning demos here).
The program concluded with closing remarks from Nancy Alonistioti who extended her heartfelt thanks to all attendees for their engagement, the speakers for their invaluable expertise and compelling presentations, and the sponsors for their crucial support in making the event possible. Alonistioti also announced that one6G is already looking forward to hosting the sixth edition of one6G Summit in 2026 and encouraged everyone to stay tuned for the dates and location, which will be announced early next year.
Special demonstration
Among the event’s many highlights, participants were also treated to a unique live demonstration that bridged advanced wireless technology and cultural heritage. Organized by Huawei and CNIT WiLab, the demo—Environmental Reconstruction of City Towers with cmWave ISAC—took place at a terrace overlooking Bologna’s historic skyline. Using cmWave Integrated Sensing and Communication, experts reconstructed the Garisenda Tower in real time, combining earlier measurement campaigns with live sensing data. The medieval landmark, currently undergoing stabilization works, served as a living example of how 6G technologies could enable environmental sensing, urban monitoring, and cultural heritage preservation. This showcase vividly illustrated how next-generation connectivity can serve not only the future of communication but also the safeguarding of historical treasures (you can learn more about the demo here).
Acknowledgments
We extend our sincere gratitude to all our sponsors and scientific supporters. Their unwavering commitment and generous contributions were instrumental in making the fifth edition of the one6G Summit a success. Their support went beyond providing necessary resources; it demonstrated a shared vision for advancing the field. This event would not have been possible without their contributions, and we are deeply appreciative of their trust and partnership.