We find ourselves in an era of omnipresent digital connection, or hyperconnectivity. Our houses, cities and even our agriculture are becoming smarter and connected to a growing digital network. Everywhere we go, there are devices and sensors that are permanently connected to the internet. By 2030, it is expected that more than 50 billion devices will be connected globally. One thing is clear – the volume of data will increase and data streams must flow faster. The communications systems that transport this data can therefore be considered the digital nervous system of every society and economy. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has set up the Sovereign. Digital. Connected. research programme that lays the foundations for all research funding related to communications systems.

Sovereign

Communications systems are among the most important key technologies for our digitalized society and economy. At the same time, one-sided dependence on producers and supply chain vulnerability has increased. Here in Germany, we need to be in a position to understand, develop and produce key technologies in the future. This will allow us to maintain our autonomy and safeguard our competitiveness, prosperity and jobs.

Digital

Growing online networks combined with the accompanying increase in the connectivity of objects, locations and people regularly spawn new products, services, business models and ways of living and working. With our communications systems research, we want to instigate innovations that can be used in a digital society and generate added value. We not only focus on the development of technology or new materials. It is equally important to conduct research on the future digital daily lives of our citizens in the hyperconnected world of tomorrow.

Connected

The various different communications systems and transmission channels are converging more and more. Global communication requires satellites and undersea cables. Modern mobile telecommunications cannot work without a fibre-optic broadband-based infrastructure and data centres. An automated production hall relies on open and intelligent interfaces. That’s why modern communications systems need to be addressed in a holistic manner, covering all levels of technology and all relevant environments.

The Sovereign. Digital. Connected. research programme is thus in line with the aims of the Federal Government’s Digital Strategy and its Future Research and Innovation Strategy, as well as with the BMBF’s planned framework programme on technological sovereignty. Research funding is concentrated on three areas in particular:

1. Research into the network technology of tomorrow: this includes preparing for the 6th generation of technical standards for wireless communications (6G), artificial intelligence (AI) in communications networks or other, completely innovative approaches.
2. Shaping the connected systems of the future: security and sustainability are a top priority here.
3. Specific applications for key German industries: funding aims to strengthen the competitiveness of German enterprises. This area of research aims to develop communications solutions that can be used in people’s daily lives and that entail tangible benefits.

The close integration of the paradigms of security, resilience, sustainability and network intelligence within the EU’s RDI Framework also plays a key role (as cross-cutting topics). 

Secure

In the future, everyone will be part of a hyperconnected world. This will be supported by networks of sensors and autonomous devices. The world is digital and it’s about to become more digital. For most data transfers, information security must be guaranteed for practical and sensitive applications, in particular, for the integrity, privacy and availability of the data transmission. Within the BMBF funding, strict IT security principles are already applied during research and product development, thus ensuring security by design.

Sustainable

Germany must go to great lengths to achieve its climate goals. Digital technologies can play an important role in this. High-performance communications systems can make our economy more efficient, more environmentally-friendly and more circular or jeopardize achieving our climate goals due to their high levels of energy consumption. BMBF research funding aims to reduce the overall energy footprint of communications networks (sustainability by design), whereby the entire life cycle must be taken into account, including recycling all network components and the positive impact of networks on sustainability and energy efficiency. Sustainability is a central consideration when it comes to 6G – both in terms of its footprint and its handprint. 

Resilient

We need resilient communications systems for future applications such as autonomous driving or telemedicine. Network resilience denotes the reliability and resilience as well as the regeneration and learning capacity of networked systems with respect to external and internal interfering factors. Resilient communications systems that are developed through BMBF funding react sensitively to disruptions and can even anticipate these to some extent. In other words, problems are not solved by technicians as a first line of defence, but instead are autonomously detected and repaired by the systems themselves.  IntelligentIt is no longer enough for our networks to serve as transport channels for streams of data – they need to become intelligent. The close-knit integration of artificial intelligence within networks improves transmission by optimizing network management and signal processing. It also enables automated problem detection and makes it easier to maintain networks and bring new ones online. Artificial intelligence also facilitates the efficient energy and resource management of complex networks. Communications networks also constitute an important infrastructure for providing AI services and for connecting people and machines, e.g. through the use of augmented or virtual reality tools. With major progress being made in both artificial intelligence and robotics, BMBF funding aims to ensure that, in the future, citizens are supported by automated systems in all areas of their lives and are more capable of working together with them.

Editorial deadline for this text: 01.11.2024