White Paper on SNS Support to PPDR — TrialsNet Contribution

TrialsNet has contributed to a newly published White Paper on SNS support to Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR), produced with other SNS JU-funded projects. It maps the SNS JU research portfolio against PPDR operational needs and policy goals, highlighting alignment and future priorities.

The paper envisions 6G enabling first responders across Europe to share information instantly, anticipate threats, keep functioning when infrastructure is destroyed, and support recovery afterward. By 2040, responders should connect anywhere in Europe to a shared operational picture; citizens, schools, and hospitals should also be able to self-sufficiently endure 72 hours without central infrastructure. 6G is framed as a foundation for societal resilience, not just faster connectivity.

The current SNS portfolio aligns well with these priorities, covering disasters, large events, maritime emergencies, critical infrastructure, and healthcare crises. Four key technology domains stand out: hybrid terrestrial/non-terrestrial networks (redundancy when infrastructure fails), edge/cloud-native infrastructure (real-time intelligence), AI/ML (self-optimizing networks, reduced operator burden), and integrated sensing and communication (active environmental and personnel monitoring).

Three TrialsNet use cases support the paper: UC1 Madrid/Iași (smart crowd monitoring and anomaly detection at large events), UC2 Athens (AI and drones for infrastructure asset management), and UC5 Turin (XR/Metaverse-based control room for multi-agency training and real-time emergency visualization).