Partner Newsletter May 2024

Dear FNS Partners,

Herewith you receive the latest edition of the FNS Partner Newsletter, with the latest developments within the 6G Future Network Services program. This time a special edition about the FNS Partner Event at the Marienhof in Amersfoort.

Your input and feedback is always welcome.

Warm regards,

Peter Rake,

on behalf of the FNS Core Team

FNS Partner Event at the Marienhof

On 14 May, the FNS Partner Event took place at the Marienhof in Amersfoort. With over 130 participants from almost all partners, we were very pleased with the turnout.

We look back on a very successful event. And apparently so do you! From the evaluation, besides useful feedback, comes a report mark of 8.5.

All presentations and photos from the day can be found on the general FNS SharePoint behind the following link. For those without SharePoint access, we have attached the presentations as PDFs.

Kick-off program

Peter Rake and Paul Wijngaard, officially kicked off the day's program with host Danny Frietman.

Besides looking ahead to the agenda, the milestones they touched on were the following:

  • We are hugely pleased with the number of visitors to the FNS Partner Event.
  • The flying start we made with the program and all the work packages.
  • The “Maatwerkbeschikking” has been issued by RVO! We all worked hard on it and it has been shared with everyone by email.
  • We developed a new logo & identity, as well as a dedicated FNS website, to build a solid FNS brand.
  • Our participation in and input to the 3GPP workshop in Rotterdam on 23 September.
  • The first two TTT tickets worth 25k have been awarded.

6G System, Research & Innovation

Marcel Geurts and Pieter Nooren from the FNS core team shared their views on the 6G system, research and innovation.

Within FNS, we seek mutual benefits for our partners to realise earning potential and contribute to digital autonomy and sustainability.

The requirements team drives this by mapping the activities of our partners on the 6G system and across programme lines in diagrams using a clickable and zoomable tool.

This mapping is still under development, but the current diagrams already show where the components and modules developed in FNS fit into the overall 6G system and how they are related to each other.

We plan to use the diagrams, across program lines, to define requirements, present the open standards and position our demonstration models in the overall system.

Finance & Practicalities

Sharon Struijcken led everyone through a number of practical and financial topics. Her session aimed to ensure that all partners have the right knowledge for optimal (financial) management. The main highlights of her presentation are the following:

  • The “Maatwerkbeschikking” has been received and the first advances have been (or will soon be) paid to the partners. Attached to the decision is a payment schedule for these advances.
  • The program board steers on KPIs and monitors the risks within the implementation of the program. We report on this to the consortium in the quarterly reports.
  • We are in the process of finalising the Rules of Engagement, a manual for the FNS partners. We will share these with the consortium in June, but the PowerPoint slides of Sharon show the main principles regarding financial accountability.
  • The first financial report will be delivered on 1 November 2024 (internally to the consortium). On 1 May 2025, we have to report financially for the first time to the Rijksdienst voor Ondernemen (the subsidy provider).

Sharon has also prepared an FAQ which is attached to this newsletter. Later in the newsletter, this topic will be covered.

We have attached Sharon's presentation, but you can also find it on General SharePoint: link

Pitches by the work package leaders

The leaders of all the work packages pitched their program lines. The bell rang after two minutes, allowing us to walk through the 19 different pitches relatively quickly. The evaluation showed how important it is to show each other what activities we are undertaking and thus promote mutual cooperation.

Information market

After lunch, all FNS participants explored the information market where each work package showcased its specific contribution to the FNS program. There were 19 different pull-up banners developed that allowed the partners of each work package to explain their activities.

At the same time, there was a meeting focusing on FNS finance and reporting to keep abreast of the FNS financial landscape.

FAQ

The FNS FAQ is attached to the newsletter. Periodically, we will collect the most frequently asked questions from partners and share them with the consortium through an FAQ. We will share these via the general SharePoint site in the future.

Keynotes

Shaping the 6G Future - Jochum Sluitman, Partner at Nokia Bell Labs Consulting

Jochum Sluitman delved into the future of 6G and shared the perspective from Nokia Bell Labs Consulting on the subject.

Drones & 6G - Frans Hamstra, COO of Drone Delivery Services

Frans Hamstra explored the intersection of drones and 6G technology. We learned how these developments are revolutionising delivery services.

Closing of the day

Peter Rake and Paul Wijngaard concluded the day by reflecting on key learnings and next steps:

  • They thanked everyone for the energy and enthusiasm in the room.
  • We ask everyone to mark the date for the next partner event on 14 November in their diaries.
  • There was much and meaningful exchange of knowledge and experiences during the day.
  • And it was great to see the comments, shares and likes we received on the LinkedIn post we promoted during the closing speech.

Thanks!

“Maatwerkbeschikking”, issued by RVO

We are pleased that the “Maatwerkbeschikking”, which contains the formal award of the FNS grants, was issued last week by RVO. This document is an important milestone for the FNS program, as it formalises the award of the grants to the consortium partners.

RFO has now also made advance payments to partners of subsidies for the first two quarters of 2024. We expect these amounts to be in the partners' bank accounts within 2 weeks, if they have signed the FNS Consortium Agreement.

Impact of the outline agreement on the National Growth Fund

The forming parties published an outline agreement on 15 May 2024. This outline agreement indicates the intention to phase out the National Growth Fund. However, the agreements of rounds 1 to 3 will be honoured and the NGF committee and staff directorate will continue to coordinate the further monitoring and handling of ongoing cases in the coming years as planned. The new cabinet's plans further indicate that rounds 4 and 5 will be dropped. As a result, 6.8 billion less will be spent in the coming years.

The FNS program reservation for Phase 2 (2026-2030) will thus remain available and concrete administrative expectations remain in place here.

See also the post on the National Growth Fund site: link

A milestone for 6G in Rotterdam

The Netherlands hosted a landmark event for 6G last week: the 3GPP Workshops in Rotterdam. During three days, more than 500 representatives from all over the world shared their views on 6G requirements and use cases. This laid the first foundation for the 6G specification that will be developed in the coming years.

Future Network Services is proud that this first 6G milestone took place in the Netherlands and that we were able to contribute to the European R&I vision (SNS) and the use cases (5GACIA Industry, 5GAA Automotive, NGMN Operators). The FNS input during these three days focused, among other things, on the high-tech industry, road safety for cyclists/pedestrians (Vulnerable Road Users) and the multi-edge cloud.

Read the whole article on the website: A milestone for 6G in Rotterdam

Copyright 2024 FNS
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