Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU)

What Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) does

The Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) is a European public-private partnership established by Council Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 in November 2021 under Horizon Europe. Headquartered in Brussels (rue de la Loi 51) and operationally hosted by Eurescom GmbH, it is jointly led by the European Commission and the 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association (6G-IA). Its mandate is to pool EU and industry resources into coordinated research, validation and deployment of Smart Networks and Services, with a primary focus on 6G and the advanced evolution of 5G (B5G). The partnership runs competitive calls for proposals across four streams — Stream A (5G evolution), Stream B (revolutionary 6G technology), Stream C (experimental infrastructures) and Stream D (large-scale trials and pilots) — plus coordination and support actions, producing a portfolio of roughly 100 funded projects covering sub-THz communications, Non-Terrestrial Networks, Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces, AI-native air interfaces, semantic communications, deterministic networking, edge computing and network security.

Technically, the SNS JU's output is not a product but a coordinated research and standardisation programme. Programme tools include the Vertical Engagement Tracker, Standards Tracker, KPI Radar and an Interactive Map of SNS Projects, complemented by annual Journals, Trials & Pilots Brochures, and the annual EuCNC & 6G Summit. In 2025 the programme validated 469 use cases and 224 trials and pilots across priority verticals. Its business model is a grant-distribution model rather than a commercial one: the EU commits EUR 900 million and the private sector (via 6G-IA members) matches at least EUR 900 million, giving a pooled budget of EUR 1.8 billion for 2021–2027. Funding is allocated through open calls published on the EC Funding & Tenders Portal, and additional open calls flow from individual funded projects (e.g., 6G-Cloud, 6G-VERSUS, 6G-PATH). Customers, in effect the recipients of programme engagement, are research institutions, telecom operators and vendors, vertical industries (healthcare, transport, manufacturing, media, emergency services) and EU Member State authorities coordinating national 6G initiatives.

Name

Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU)

Legal name

Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking

Website

https://smart-networks.europa.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) is an EU public-private partnership, established under Horizon Europe in 2021 and jointly led by the European Commission and the 6G-IA, that funds roughly 100 collaborative research projects on advanced 5G and 6G networks through competitive calls, targeting European technological sovereignty and serving research institutions, telecom industry, vertical industries and Member States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

European Research Funding Partnership

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Space Research and Technology (92711), Satellite Telecommunications (5174)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

NTN-Enabled Emergency, Government & Defense Communications (Public Safety, Tactical, Resilience) (HDAIAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fault & Performance Monitoring (SNMP/Telemetry/APM for Networks) (HDAFAMAA)

Keywords

• 6G research funding
• Telecommunications innovation
• Wireless network research
• Horizon Europe partnership
• Smart networks services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. EU Research Funding (Grant Model): The SNS JU is a public-private partnership that allocates EU funding through competitive calls for proposals. The EU contributes EUR 900 million for 2021-2027, matched by at least EUR 900 million from private industry (via the 6G-IA association), to fund collaborative research projects in smart networks and services, 6G research, and 5G deployment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The SNS JU is a public-private partnership that allocates pooled EU and private-sector funding (EUR 900 million from the EU and at least EUR 900 million from industry via the 6G-IA, for 2021-2027) through periodic competitive Calls for Proposals to fund collaborative research and innovation projects in advanced 5G and 6G networks across four streams: Stream A (Smart Components / 5G mid-term evolution), Stream B (revolutionary 6G technology), Stream C (Experimental Infrastructures) and Stream D (Large-Scale Trials and Pilots), plus Coordination and Support Actions. It also coordinates open calls from funded projects, maintains public tracker tools, publishes journals and brochures, and runs the SNS ICE ecosystem project supporting international cooperation, standardisation and vertical engagement.

Product overview

The Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) is a European research and innovation partnership co-led by the European Commission and the 6G-IA industry association. It is not a product company in the traditional sense, but rather a funding and coordination entity that supports a portfolio of over 100 research projects across 5G Advanced and 6G technology development. The SNS JU ecosystem includes four main funding streams: Stream A (Smart Components), Stream B (Revolutionary 6G Technology), Stream C (Experimental Infrastructures), and Stream D (Large Scale Trials and Pilots). The portfolio includes publications (Trials & Pilots Brochures, Annual Journals), analytical tools (Vertical Engagement Tracker, Standards Tracker, KPI Radar), and coordinates research across domains including healthcare, transport, manufacturing, and agriculture. EU budget is EUR 900 million (2021-2027) matched by private sector contributions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SNS JU Calls for Proposals Competitive grant funding mechanism run on the EC Funding & Tenders Portal; funds collaborative research and innovation projects in advanced 5G and 6G networks across Streams A, B, C and D and CSAs; for research institutions, telecom operators, vendors, vertical industries and SMEs forming consortia.
• Vertical Engagement Tracker Online tracking tool that monitors the progress of SNS JU projects in developing 6G technology enablers and applications across diverse market segments through use cases; for the 6G research community, vertical industries and policy stakeholders.
• Standards Tracker Tracking tool for monitoring standards development activities related to 6G technologies; for industry and research stakeholders tracking 6G standardisation progress.
• KPI Radar Tool for tracking and visualizing Key Performance Indicators across SNS JU projects; for projects, the 6G-IA community and policy stakeholders monitoring R&D progress.
• Interactive Map of SNS Projects Geographic visualisation tool showing the distribution and location of SNS JU-funded projects across Europe; for researchers, policy makers and the public exploring the European 6G research footprint.
• SNS JU Annual Journal Annual journal publication (SNS Journal 2023, 2024, 2025) documenting SNS JU projects, achievements and contributions to 6G research; for the 6G research community, industry stakeholders and policy makers.
• SNS JU Trials and Pilots Brochure Brochure highlighting 12 selected trials and pilots from SNS JU-funded projects (selected from 28 submissions) demonstrating B5G/6G enabled solutions in real-world deployment scenarios in ports, airports, healthcare and agriculture; for industry, vertical users and policy stakeholders.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• European Commission (EC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2021The EC is one of the two founding co-leads of the SNS JU alongside the 6G-IA. It provides the EU budget contribution (EUR 900 million for 2021-2027) and oversees the partnership within the framework of Horizon Europe.
• 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association (6G-IA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2021The 6G-IA is the voice of European Industry and Research for next-generation networks and services. Jointly leading the SNS JU with the EC, the 6G-IA brings together a global industry community including telecom operators, manufacturers, research institutes, universities, verticals, SMEs, and ICT associations. The 6G-IA contributes matching private sector resources (EUR 900 million minimum).
• Eurescom GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEurescom GmbH serves as the host organization for the SNS JU website and is responsible for its technical management. The imprint identifies David M. Kennedy, Director at Eurescom GmbH (Wieblinger Weg 19/4, 69123 Heidelberg, Germany) as responsible for the website content.
• European Space Agency (ESA)supportingTechnology or IntegrationESA is shown as a co-funder/supporter alongside the EC and 6G-IA in the SNS JU visual branding, indicating collaborative activities in satellite and non-terrestrial network research within the 6G ecosystem.
• SNS ICE Project Consortium (6G-IA, CTTC, TNO, Trust-IT, COMPLA, Telecom Italia, Nokia, Eurescom, LMT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe SNS ICE (International and European Cooperation Ecosystem) project is a CSA supporting SNS JU operations, with consortium including key industry and research partners focused on global cooperation, standardization, and vertical engagement.
• 5G-MAG (5G Media Action Group)supportingGTM or Marketing Partner5G-MAG is a key industry association partner with whom the 6G-IA (and by extension SNS JU) has signed an MoU for cooperation in media-related 5G/6G applications.
• 5G-PPP / Beyond 5G EcosystemsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe SNS JU builds upon and coordinates with the 5G-PPP (5G Public-Private Partnership) ecosystem and related EU research initiatives on advanced connectivity.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute): European standards organisation with formal SNS JU coordination role on telecom standardisation. Comparable as a pan-European telecom coordination body that channels SNS JU research outputs into formal standards (e.g., via the SNS JU Standards Tracker).
• European Space Agency (ESA): Formal SNS JU partner for non-terrestrial network and satellite 6G research. Comparable as an intergovernmental European R&D organisation with adjacent scope on space-based connectivity that directly influences SNS JU Stream B NTN research priorities.
• 5G PPP (5G Public-Private Partnership): Predecessor European research partnership that funded 5G research from 2014-2020 under Horizon 2020. SNS JU explicitly builds upon the 5G PPP ecosystem and coordination model — directly comparable in structure, scale, and objectives but covering the prior generation.

Direct peers

• Next G Alliance: US-led industry initiative organised under the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) to advance North American 6G leadership. Closest structural counterpart to SNS JU with comparable public-private coordination, R&D roadmap development, and 6G standardisation goals.
• IMT-2030 (6G Promotion Group): Chinese government-backed 6G promotion group coordinating industry and academic 6G research. Functions as the principal Asian counterpart to SNS JU in advancing national 6G R&D priorities and ITU IMT-2030 vision contributions.
• 6G Flagship: University of Oulu's flagship 6G research program running since 2018 — among the earliest dedicated 6G research efforts globally. Many SNS JU Stream B projects overlap with the 6G Flagship research agenda, making it a directly comparable academic-led 6G initiative.
• One6G: Finnish national 6G research initiative led by VTT and the University of Oulu with industry partners. Comparable as a coordinated 6G research program, though more focused on Finnish national priorities than pan-European coordination.
• 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association (6G-IA): Founding co-lead of SNS JU representing European industry and research in next-generation networks. 6G-IA brings together operators, manufacturers, research institutes, universities, verticals, SMEs, and ICT associations — the same stakeholder community that the SNS JU programme serves.
• Hexa-X: European 6G flagship research project funded by the EC through Horizon 2020/Europe, led by Ericsson with major European vendor and operator participation. Direct comparable as an EU-funded 6G research consortium with system-level architectural focus overlapping SNS JU Stream B.

Emerging players

• IOWN Global Forum: Industry forum founded by NTT, Intel, and Sony to advance an all-photonics network and computing infrastructure for next-generation connectivity. Comparable as an industry-led next-generation networking initiative with overlapping standards influence goals, though with a distinct optical-centric technology vision.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/6G_SNS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCs3hOxoWosIo63cMqSd9jIg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sns-ju

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU)