In-person event
The transition towards 6G and edge AI isn’t only a technological shift but also a regulatory and industrial policy challenge for Europe. As next-generation networks become increasingly intertwined with distributed computing, AI deployment, cloud-edge integration and strategic supply-chain choices, the key policy question is no longer simply how to develop 6G, but rather what legal, economic, and competitive conditions Europe can invest in so as to be able to deploy it at scale.
This workshop is structured around three complementary panels, each addressing a distinct layer of the question. The first focuses on the broader strategic and industrial rationale for 6G and edge AI in Europe. It will discuss the economic significance of the 6G transition, the relationship between next-gen connectivity and Europe’s digital targets, and the extent to which industrial policy initiatives such as CAIDA, the Apply AI strategy and broader cloud-edge policies can support a competitive European ecosystem. The underlying debate is whether Europe is approaching 6G as a genuine industrial opportunity or whether it risks falling behind other major countries in deployment, scale and commercialisation.
The second panel turns to the Digital Networks Act (DNA), as the most important sector-specific regulatory initiative for the future of European connectivity. It will examine whether the DNA can create more coherent and investment-friendly conditions for 6G through its spectrum, harmonisation, and market-integration provisions, while also exploring how national regulators and operators assess its practical implications. The central question here is whether the DNA can address Europe’s long-standing fragmentation problem and creating credible incentives for the levels of long-term capital expenditure required for 6G deployment.
The third panel broadens the lens beyond telecom-specific regulation and focuses on the competitive and industrial dynamics that will shape 6G investment. It will address the role of merger control, co-investment arrangements and other forms of industrial cooperation in determining whether operators and vendors can achieve the scale, certainty and returns necessary for 6G rollout. It will also touch on the wider industrial implications of vendor ecosystems, trusted supply chains, cybersecurity considerations, and standardisation and IP strategies. Even an ambitious telecom framework won’t be sufficient if broader competition and market-structure rules don’t support the economics of next-generation network investment.
By bringing together perspectives from the European Commission, national regulatory authorities, industry, academia and the European Parliament, the workshop aims to clarify which policy choices will matter most if Europe wants to build a secure, innovative and globally competitive 6G and edge AI ecosystem.
A joint event between I-COM and CEPS
