News & Events

On 20 May 2026, the 6G-MUSICAL project successfully hosted its second webinar on Sustainability titled: “How can Sustainability become a Key Driver for Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) in 6G Business?”, bringing together researchers, industry representatives and stakeholders interested in the role of sustainability in shaping future 6G ecosystems.

The webinar focused on how sustainability principles can be integrated not only into the technical development of future networks but also into business strategies, regulatory approaches, and value-creation models for emerging 6G technologies. Drawing on the latest results from the 6G-MUSICAL project, the session explored the close relationship between sustainability thinking, business model innovation and Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC).

The event was moderated by Gianna Avgousti (R&D Project Manager at eBOS), who introduced the webinar’s objectives and provided an overview of the 6G-MUSICAL project. The project is advancing future 6G networks by integrating communication, sensing and localisation capabilities into a unified framework, with a strong focus on intelligent, efficient and sustainable network operation.

The webinar featured distinguished speakers from the University of Oulu, including Professor Marja Matinmikko-Blue from the Centre for Wireless Communications and Dr. Oksana Giska from the Martti Ahtisaari Institute at Oulu Business School, who presented the project’s latest work on sustainability and business model approaches for 6G with ISAC.

The presentations highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of the research, combining engineering perspectives with business thinking and regulatory considerations. The speakers presented key findings from the 6G-MUSICAL deliverable on sustainability and business models, which introduces approaches specifically tailored to the needs of the 6G research and innovation community.

During the webinar, participants explored several important topics, including:

• Sustainability as a core principle for 6G development, covering the three interconnected sustainability pillars: environmental, social and economic sustainability.
• The relationship between “Sustainable 6G” and “6G for Sustainability”, highlighting the importance of both reducing the environmental footprint of future networks and enabling sustainability transformations across different sectors through advanced digital technologies.
• The role of EU sustainability regulations in shaping future networks, including key frameworks such as the European Green Deal, Circular Economy Action Plan, Energy Efficiency Directive, Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and EU Taxonomy Regulation.
• Sustainability challenges for 6G and ISAC, including energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, resource efficiency, electronic waste, digital inclusion, security and data-related challenges, economic viability and the development of sustainable business models.
• Business model thinking for 5G and 6G, exploring how value creation, value delivery and value capture mechanisms need to evolve to support new technologies and services.
• The novel sustainability framework developed within 6G-MUSICAL, which connects sustainability pillars, technological innovation, sustainability challenges, business model approaches, sustainability assessment methods and strategic management actions.

A key outcome of the webinar was the presentation of a new integrated approach for sustainability in 6G with ISAC, combining technological, business and regulatory perspectives. The framework considers both business models for sustainable 6G and 6G-enabled business models for sustainability, identifying opportunities, value, and advantages across environmental, social, and economic dimensions.

The speakers also presented examples of how ISAC-enabled use cases can contribute to sustainability objectives, including:

• Indoor AGV localisation in warehouses, where ISAC technologies can optimise routing, reduce energy consumption, improve workplace safety and increase operational efficiency.
• Smart convoys, where coordinated vehicle operation can support reduced fuel consumption, lower emissions, safer transportation and improved logistics efficiency.
• Weather monitoring and smart city services, where integrated sensing capabilities can reduce the need for additional sensing infrastructure while enabling improved public services and data sharing.

The webinar concluded with an interactive discussion on the future of sustainable 6G. Participants explored the balance between reducing the footprint of future networks and using 6G technologies as enablers for sustainability across different sectors.

During the Q&A session, the speakers highlighted that sustainability must be addressed holistically, combining environmental, social and economic considerations. They emphasised that future 6G systems should not only consume less energy and generate fewer emissions, but also remain accessible, affordable and capable of improving human well-being.

With 24 registered participants, the webinar provided valuable insights into how sustainability and business model innovation can become key drivers for the next generation of intelligent communication networks.

The webinar recording and materials will be shared through the 6G-MUSICAL communication channels, allowing the wider research and innovation community to revisit the presentations and discussions!