TUM and TU Dresden Enter New Phase of 6G Development with 6G-life² Transfer Hub

Prof. Dr. Holger Boche, head of the 6G-life initiative, and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kellerer, head of the 6G Future Lab Bavaria, in the soundproofed laboratory.

(IN BRIEF) TUM and TU Dresden have launched the second funding phase of the 6G-life² transfer hub, extending their collaboration on sixth-generation mobile communications through to 2029. Supported with €25 million from the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, the project focuses on transferring 6G research into real-world applications, with an emphasis on human-centric communication, networked robotics, industrial metaverse environments and energy-efficient computing. A full demonstrator will test and showcase new technologies, while start-up support and incubator activities aim to strengthen technological sovereignty and accelerate innovation. Together with complementary initiatives such as the 6G Future Lab Bavaria, the project positions Germany at the forefront of secure, resilient and application-driven 6G development.

(PRESS RELEASE) MUNICH, 8-Jan-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Technical University of Munich and TU Dresden have entered the next development phase of future mobile communications with the launch of the second funding stage of their joint transfer hub, 6G-life². Running until December 2029, the new phase strengthens both universities’ leading roles in shaping sixth-generation (6G) mobile technologies, which are expected to reach commercial deployment around 2030.

Building on foundations established since the start of the original 6G-life initiative in 2021, the new project phase focuses on translating cutting-edge research into practical, deployable technologies. Interdisciplinary teams from both institutions are working on concepts and technical solutions that move beyond machine-to-machine connectivity, placing humans and their interaction with machines and virtual environments at the centre of future networks. Potential applications include care robotics, teleoperation, industrial metaverse environments, and advanced human-machine interfaces.

The German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space is supporting 6G-life² with €25 million over four years under the “6G Research Roadmap 2025–2030,” an initiative aimed at ensuring secure, resilient and sovereign communication infrastructures for the future. Alongside high-performance connectivity, researchers are integrating computing capabilities into network design, enabling real-time, energy-efficient processing that supports new digital business models and complex applications.

A central element of the second funding phase is the development of a comprehensive demonstrator that will validate the reliability of newly developed technologies while showcasing concrete 6G use cases. This demonstrator will allow researchers and industry partners to assess performance, scalability and benefits under realistic conditions.

Entrepreneurship and technology transfer remain core pillars of the initiative. Through targeted support for start-ups and the continued development of the Launchhub42 incubator in Dresden, the project aims to strengthen technological sovereignty and accelerate the market introduction of German and European 6G innovations. Close collaboration with Bavaria’s 6G Future Lab further enhances research efforts in areas such as digital twins, energy efficiency, network security and intelligent resource management.

By combining fundamental research, applied development, demonstrators and start-up support, TUM and TU Dresden are positioning 6G-life² as a cornerstone for Germany’s next generation of mobile communications and a key contributor to Europe’s future digital infrastructure.

Further information and links

• The following professorships and groups at TUM are involved in research at 6G-life and the 6G Future Lab Bavaria: Communication Networks, Media Technology, Theoretical Information Technology, Network Architectures and Network Services, Machine Learning, Integrated Systems, Connected Mobility, Information Technology Security, Signal Processing Methods, Coding for Communication and Data Storage, Security, Performance and Reliability of Learning Systems, Minimally Invasive Interdisciplinary Therapeutic Intervention, Information Technology Control, Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence.
• 6G-life is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR).
• The 6G Future Lab Bavaria is funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy.