Zero Touch Project funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, File No. TSI-064200-2022-11, Call 2022
The project “Design of a Zero Touch Management Platform for 5G+ IoT Device Ecosystems,” File No. TSI-064200-2022-11, has been selected as one of the industrial research projects in advanced 5G technology, granted under the budget of the State Secretariat for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures.
Deployment of 5G technology
One of the goals of Component 15 of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan is to lead the deployment of 5G/6G technology in Europe, focusing both on infrastructure and technological innovation in key sectors, particularly 5G cybersecurity.
Investment 6 of Component 16 (C15.I6) of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan includes measures supporting business R&D, focused on applying new knowledge to develop and improve technologies. These initiatives aim to increase the resilience and long-term competitiveness of Spanish companies, accelerating the development of innovation ecosystems in 5G, 6G, and 5G cybersecurity.
Within the framework of this component, objectives CID #243 and #244 on “Deployment of 5G Technology” have been established, and the UNICO I+D 5G-6G 2022 Call for proposals was issued to fulfill these goals: Universalization Program of Digital Infrastructures for Cohesion (Research Infrastructure, Scientific-Technical Equipment, and Advanced 5G R&D Projects).
Grant awarded for the “Zero Touch Management Platform” project
The project, presented by Arctic Sea SL in the 2022 call for industrial research in advanced 5G, was one of the selected projects. It received a maximum grant of €461,458.70 for a total eligible budget of €659,226.32, with a deadline for completion by December 31, 2024.
Project Description The objective of the project is industrial research for the development of a zero-touch management system.
The project is aligned with one of the novelties introduced in 3GPP Release 17, known as “Device Enhancements.”
While the Zero-Touch Network and Service Management (ZSM) framework is considered promising by 3GPP, offering innovative functions for end-to-end management and orchestration of a 5G network, there are still no concrete solutions based on ZSM for managing large-scale mobile 5G IoT device networks.
This project utilizes technologies that have only been described in academic settings and requires the proposed development to validate the most critical functions of the technology.
The project seeks to fully automate the management of large 5G IoT device networks, minimizing human intervention and improving operational efficiency. This technology is crucial for managing massive ecosystems of connected devices, optimizing real-time incident response, and enabling more precise monitoring.
The implementation of 5G+ IoT technology, supported by the advances of 3GPP Release 17, not only increases connectivity and reduces latency but also expands data processing capabilities in critical sectors such as supply chain management and cybersecurity. These developments open new opportunities for improving industrial digitalization.
Thanks to European Union funding, projects like this allow Spanish companies to enhance their long-term competitiveness by integrating technological innovations that optimize their operations and prepare them for the challenges of the global market. This initiative strengthens Europe’s leadership in the transition to a more robust and secure digital infrastructure.
