6G - international research and innovation collaboration 2025

Development of the sixth generation (6G) wireless communication system has begun. The technology is expected to improve speed and data processing, seamless connectivity, and significantly reduce latency. 6G systems encompass various technology areas. A faster wireless system is expected to lead to new data-driven applications and enable increased productivity.

The government has tasked Vinnova and the Swedish Research Council with strengthening basic research, applied research and innovation within 6G. The purpose of this call for proposals is to give Swedish actors the opportunity to plan, together with actors in selected countries, the start-up and implementation of joint research and innovation projects and in-depth innovation collaborations within 6G.

The call for proposals is aimed at Swedish companies, universities and research institutes that want to develop 6G collaborations with actors in other designated countries. It is possible to apply for funding to deepen existing collaborations.

The participant seeking funding must be a Swedish legal entity. The foreign actor with whom the project partner wishes to collaborate needs to have its own funding for its costs.

Each project can receive a maximum of 70 percent funding of the project's total eligible costs on the Swedish side. The maximum funding is 3 million SEK. The project duration can be between 12 and 18 months.

Wireless communication plays a crucial role in society and communication networks have become a central part of critical infrastructure. With increasing eligibility requirements for wireless technology, continued research efforts are also required that strengthen collaboration both nationally and internationally for, among other things, standardization and continuous development.

The development of 6G has begun. The technology is expected to improve speed and data processing, seamless connectivity and significantly reduce latency. 6G systems include various technology areas: from software and artificial intelligence (AI) to semiconductors and radio communications. A faster wireless system is expected to lead to a range of new data-driven applications and enable increased productivity in many different areas and industries. A secure and robust digital infrastructure is also of great importance for both business and society at large.

The government has commissioned Vinnova and the Swedish Research Council to strengthen basic research, applied research and innovation within 6G. The aim is to strengthen the position of Swedish research and innovation in the area, increase the competitiveness of Swedish companies and strengthen the conditions for Swedish research environments to participate in international research collaboration and gain access to international research infrastructure. The investment totals SEK 390 million. The assignment is due for a final report in March 2027.

Read about the government mission: Research investment to contribute to the development of 6G

The purpose of this call for proposals is to give Swedish actors the opportunity to plan, together with actors in selected countries, the start-up and implementation of joint research and innovation projects as well as in-depth innovation collaborations within 6G.

objective of the call is to:

• contribute to strengthened innovation collaboration between Sweden and relevant actors in the USA, Canada, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and in the EU.
• contribute to knowledge development and innovation in the 6G area.

The development of 6G networks is expected to improve speed, data processing, seamless connectivity and significantly reduce system latency. It will also provide essential services to all sectors, across different types of networks and public or private deployment scenarios.

A 6G wireless system could encompass a variety of areas. In discussions with stakeholders at national and international level, we have identified the following as particularly prioritized for industrial research:

• use cases and applications
• standards and regulation.

Technology and network infrastructure are fundamental to creating value in various sectors of industry and society. The following technology areas, especially beyond connectivity, should give Sweden long-term competitiveness:

• security and privacy
• reliability and resilience
• energy efficiency
• automation and AI or ML-based network optimization
• software-based platforms for wireless services
• edge or fog computing at scale
• shared infrastructure with virtualized layers
• spectrum sharing
• Internet of Things (IoT) and components.

With the call for proposals Vinnova wants to support research and innovation activities that, through intensified collaboration between actors in Sweden and internationally, contribute to global 6G development.

It should specifically:

• contribute to strengthened innovation collaboration between Sweden and actors abroad.
• increase international research and innovation collaborations in the 6G area.
• contribute to knowledge development and innovation in the 6G area.
• strengthen skills development and secure skills supply in the long term.
• meet the need for synergies between investments in 6G and other areas required for a strong 6G system.

Contribute to a sustainable system transformation

Vinnova is tasked with promoting sustainable growth and system transformation. To implement sustainable system transformation, we have chosen to base ourselves on the UN's global sustainability goals, defined in the 2030 Agenda. There, Vinnova prioritizes two perspectives: gender equality and climate change. All initiatives and project we finance are assessed based on how they contribute to these perspectives.

We therefore always follow up and assess:

• If women and men participate in the project on an equal footing, receive contributions and have influence and power over the project.
• How well the project analyzes and decides whether there are sex or gender aspects that are relevant to the project's problem formulation, solutions and effects.
• How well the project contributes to the climate transition, in this call for proposals with a focus primarily on increased energy efficiency and longevity of components that are a priority.

Gender-equal innovation – what it means for those seeking funding from us

Agenda 2030 as a driver for innovation

Free access to scientific publications and results

Results from research and innovation that are made freely available increase the opportunity for more people to contribute to solutions to societal challenges. This the call for proposals will contribute to making more results freely available to everyone. Therefore, all scientific publishing should be open access.

We are addressing Swedish companies, universities and research institutes that want to develop collaborations in the 6G area with actors in the USA, Canada, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and the EU. It is possible to apply for funding to deepen already ongoing collaborations.

The participant seeking funding must be a Swedish legal entity. In this respect, a Swedish legal entity is considered to be a foreign organization that has a branch or establishment in Sweden. The costs of the project must be linked to the activities at the branch or establishment. Foreign actors that the Swedish parties collaborate with need to have their own funding for their costs.

A letter of intent from foreign actors must be attached to proposal. An authorized representative of the actor must certify the organization's participation and the extent of their involvement. You should not fill in your foreign partners as parties to the project in the web form when filling out proposal for funds via Vinnova e-services.

We strongly recommend that the Swedish parties also write a consortium agreement with the actors they collaborate with abroad. Vinnova has produced a guide to make it easier for you who are going to draw up project agreements and consortium agreements where we are involved in financing. It is located under the heading “Help with writing agreements in the project” on the page: Vinnova's general terms and conditions for funding

It is possible to apply for funding for activities that are part of research and development projects with a focus that meets the call's aim according to section 2.

Funding is offered for research and innovation projects in the 6G area where international cooperation is in focus. To strengthen and broaden cooperation, stays abroad and in Sweden can be valuable. You can apply for funds for activities both in Sweden and abroad. However, the parties seeking support must have an establishment in Sweden.

Vinnova does not fund business development, customer acquisition, marketing or other ordinary business-related activities. Applications that only include one or a couple of meetings to investigate whether there are opportunities to create a collaboration will not receive funding.

Examples of activities that are eligible for support:

• investigation of technical and design conditions.
• development of prototypes or demonstrators, which may also include pilot work, testing and validation.
• research and development of production methods.
• planning and conducting studies or tests to verify an innovation.
• the creation of components that form parts of complex systems.
• research or critical analysis aimed at acquiring new knowledge and skills to develop new products, processes or services.
• analysis of the potential of a research and development project aimed at support the decision-making process and promoting the success of the project.
• evaluation that maps strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and risks of research and development projects.

We do not fund routine or recurring changes to existing products, services, manufacturing methods or processes. Nor are funds allocated to training, courses, marketing, sales, ongoing operations, quality assurance, certification, investment in equipment and tools, or intellectual property strategies and protection.

The duration of the projects can be between 12 and 18 months.

What costs can we finance?

Our funding is subject to state aid rules. The rules govern what types of costs we can finance. These are called eligible costs.

In this the call for proposals the following types of costs are eligible:

• Personnel costs (salaries, social security contributions and other personnel costs)
• Equipment, land and buildings (instruments, equipment and rent for premises other than the regular business premises)
• Consulting and licensing costs (consulting services, knowledge and patents purchased or licensed from a third party)
  - Costs for consulting services from outside parties may constitute a maximum of 20 percent of a project party's budget.
• Other direct costs (for example, materials, supplies and travel necessary to carry out the project)
• Indirect costs (overhead) costs that are not incurred as an immediate consequence of but can be related to the project, for example regular premises and cleaning.
  - Indirect costs may constitute a maximum of 30 percent of personnel costs. Universities, university colleges, and certain research organizations and government agencies have higher maximum limits depending on the type of activities.

For more detailed information about which costs we can finance, see our Instructions for eligible costs.

What eligibility requirements apply to costs we finance?

For a cost to be eligible, it must be:

• necessary for the activities in the project
• recorded correctly and separately from the organization's other costs.

An organization may also not claim someone else's costs as its own.

For more detailed information on which eligibility requirements, limitations and exceptions apply, see Instructions for eligible costs

The state aid rules also govern how much of the costs we can finance. This is determined individually for each organization. We therefore differentiate between how much funding the project can receive, and how much each participant can receive. The total grant budget for this call for proposals is provisionally at least SEK 20 million.

How much funding can the project receive?

Vinnova's funding can amount to 3 million SEK per project. The support may constitute a maximum of 70 percent of the Swedish parties' eligible costs in the project.

How much funding can a participant receive?

How much funding each participant can receive depends mainly on:

• which activities the party will carry out in the project.
• party size and activities.

In this the call for proposals we provide support for industrial research, experimental development and feasibility studies. For full definitions, see funding criteria and levels.

Industrial research can be simply described as seeking new knowledge through planned research or critical analysis to develop or significantly improve products, processes or services.

Experimental development can be simply described as combining, shaping and using existing knowledge to produce new or improved products, processes or services. It includes digital products, processes or services in any field or within any technology, industry or sector. It can also include activities aimed at conceptual definition, planning and documentation of new products, processes or services.

Feasibility studies can be simply described as an evaluation and analysis of:

• strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks in an upcoming research and development project
• what resources are required to carry out the project
• how likely it is that the project will succeed.

Not state aid

In this the call for proposals we also provide support to organisations that do not engage in economic activities. This typically includes universities and university colleges, research institutes and other organisations that do not offer a service or product on a market. We can finance up to 100 percent of the costs of such organisations.

How do you determine whether an organization is engaged in economic activities?

An organization that offers any kind of service or product on a market is considered to be engaged in economic activities and cannot be granted non- state aid. It does not matter how the organization is financed, whether it is public or private, or whether it has a profit-making purpose. It also does not matter what legal form the business has – that is, whether it is a limited liability company, a trading company, an economic association, a non-profit association or a foundation.

If you are unsure whether an organization in your project is conducting economic activities, contact call manager. However, the organization is responsible for assessing whether it is conducting economic activities.

In order for us to take a position on and assess your proposal, it must meet certain formal eligibility requirements. If the requirements are not met, proposal will be rejected immediately.

Eligibility requirements on organizational form of project partners

• The participant seeking funding must be a Swedish legal entity. Natural persons or individual companies cannot participate as project partners. In this respect, a Swedish legal entity is considered to be a foreign organization that has a branch or establishment in Sweden.
• The project partners will conduct activities in Sweden.
• Funding is not granted to organizations that are insolvent or undergoing liquidation or corporate restructuring, or that have unpaid debts with the Swedish Enforcement Authority or payment notices.
• If the organization is a limited liability company, half or more of the share capital may not be used up.
• Vinnova takes credit information on all applicant who are not public actors and funding is not granted to organizations with the lowest credit rating of C.
• The organization applying for funding for personnel costs must be registered as an employer with the Swedish Tax Agency by the time the grant decision is made.

Eligibility requirements for project

• The costs of the project must be linked to the operations at the branch or operating location. The foreign actor needs to have its own funding for its costs.
• Costs for consulting services from outside parties may constitute a maximum of 20 percent of a project party's budget.
• Indirect costs may constitute a maximum of 30 percent of personnel costs. Universities, university colleges, and certain research organizations and government agencies have higher maximum limits depending on the type of activities.

Eligibility requirements on proposal

• Proposal should be an international collaboration in the 6G area with foreign actors from one or more of the following countries: USA, Canada, UK, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and the EU.
• A letter of intent from foreign actors must be attached to proposal. An authorized representative certifies the foreign organization's participation and the extent of their involvement.
• Proposal must be written in Swedish or English.
• The project described in proposal must not have begun before proposal is submitted (however, previous collaboration with the foreign actor is permitted).
• Proposal must follow the instructions set out in section 9.
• Proposal must contain all requested attachments.

What do we assess?

Proposal must be in line with the call's objective and aim stated in section 2, meet the requirements above and will be assessed according to the criteria below.

In addition to an individual assessment of each proposal Vinnova may apply a portfolio perspective to achieve thematic distribution of the approved projects, regarding aspects such as technology area, countries and size of project.

Potential

• Strengthened innovation collaboration between Sweden and international partners in the USA, Canada, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Singapore or in the EU.
• The project's technical level related to the international research front.
• The project's potential to contribute to the overall objectives of the call.
• How well the project is assessed to contribute to increased gender equality.
• How well the project is assessed to contribute to the climate transition with a focus on energy and resource efficiency.

Actors

• International anchoring and strategically important foreign actors.
• The competence and ability of the actors to implement the project and achieve the project objectives with regard to the composition and competence of the project team.
• To what extent the project team has access to relevant expertise in sustainability.
• How well the project team is composed in terms of gender distribution. As well as how well power and influence are distributed between women and men in the project team.

Feasibility

• The realism of the project plan in relation to set objective, methods, activities and budget.
• The participation and relevance of the specified project partners in the project's various work packages and activities.
• How well the project design contributes to the utilization and dissemination of the results, both within the own organizations and outside the consortium.
• How well risks are described and intended to be managed in the project.
• How well gender equality has been integrated into the project plan.
• How well climate aspects have been integrated into the project plan.

How do we assess?

Project applications will be assessed in competition and the assessment is based on the electronic proposal submitted via Vinnova's e-services.

Schematically, the decision-making process looks as follows:

1. Proposal are submitted via Vinnova's e-services.
2. Applications that meet the formal requirements are assessed based on the criteria stated above by Vinnova's appointed evaluator.
3. Selected project may be interviewed.
4. Vinnova makes decisions about which project will be financed.

We also assess financial status

Before deciding on funding, we also conduct a comprehensive assessment of the organizational and financial status of those receiving funding. We use information we obtain from credit reports, currently from Dun & Bradstreet.

In order for us to grant funding this applies:

• Organizations seeking funding for personnel costs must be registered as employers with the Swedish Tax Agency.
• Organizations must not be insolvent, undergoing liquidation or corporate restructuring, nor must they have unpaid debts with the Swedish Enforcement Authority.
• Limited liability companies must not have used up half or more of their share capital.
• If requested, SMEs must be able to demonstrate that they have the financial means to implement the project according to their budget in proposal. They cannot use public funding or their own funds intended for other project to cover project costs in this call for proposals.

Once we have assessed all applications, we will send you a decision either granting or rejecting your proposal. In the decision, we state how much funding each party in the project will be granted. Our decision cannot be appealed.

What happens if you are granted funding?

If we grant your proposal, you must follow our general terms and conditions for funding. The terms and conditions include, among other things:

• That you will sign a special document in which you approve your participation and commit to carrying out the project.
• That you report how things are going, your costs and achieved results to us regularly during the project period.
• If you are multiple parties, you must agree on your mutual rights and obligations in the project in an agreement. It can take time to get a project agreement in place, so it is a good idea to get this in place before the project starts.
• How the results will be used and how scientific publication will take place.

See our general terms and conditions and get help understanding and fulfilling them

Project teams that consist of 40–60 percent women or men for us to consider them to be gender-balanced. For project teams that do not meet this requirement, the following instructions apply: in connection with the first progress report, a plan must be attached that explains how a better gender balance can be achieved during the project period, for example in recruitment or similar.

We may also decide to add supplementary special conditions for individual project. In such cases, they will be stated in the decision.

Could you have to pay back funding?

If you do not follow our term, you may be required to repay the amount. This also applies if you have been granted funding incorrectly or for an amount that is too high.

To apply for funding you fill out a proposal in our e-service. Proposal contains questions about the project, other project partners and budget.

Please also attach these attachments to proposal:

• Project description, which may not exceed 10 portrait A4 pages with single-column 12-point text. The project description must follow the template found further down on the call's website.
• CV attachment with relevant CVs for the project manager and all key personnel. The attachment is expected to include at least one CV per participant. Varje CV may be a maximum of one A4 page with 12 point text. The CV attachment must follow the template on the call's website.
• A letter of intent from foreign actors must be attached. An authorized representative certifies the organization's participation and the extent of their involvement. Any template can be used.

Only requested pages and attachments will be assessed. References to websites will not be taken into account.

Start proposal well in advance

Keep in mind that it takes time to make a proposal. Filling out templates can take several days, as it is based on the analyses you will do.

In our e-service you can start filling in the details and then continue at a later time. You can also give permissions to others who you want to contribute to proposal. When proposal is complete, mark it as done.

You can unlock proposal and make changes at any time, right up until the last application date. If you unlock proposal, you must then mark it as ready for it to be registered when the call for proposals closes.

2025-03-31

Change to section 2 "What do we want to achieve with the offer?". Text below has been removed.

A 6G wireless system covers several areas, including:

• technology and network infrastructure

- extremely low latency or delay-tolerant latency

- network optimization based on AI or ML (artificial intelligence or machine learning)

- platform for wireless services

- intermittent connection and communication

- edge or fog computing on a large scale

- shared infrastructure with virtualized layers

- spectrum sharing

- wifi interoperability between vendors and standards

- open interface

- sub-terahertz band

- backhaul development with increased cell density

- non-terrestrial (satellite) networks

• standards, policy and regulations
• systems and economic models
• applications and services.