GSMA and ESA Launch €100M AI & 6G Fund
The GSMA Foundry and the European Space Agency (ESA) have announced a new fund worth up to €100 million for innovation in AI, non-terrestrial networks (NTN), and 6G technology. The funding, revealed at MWC26 Barcelona, targets companies developing next-generation communication and intelligence solutions, building on previous successful awards.
This funding initiative is a progression of a partnership that has been building momentum. The GSMA Foundry and ESA first announced a Memorandum of Intent in early 2025 to foster collaboration between the mobile and satellite industries. This was followed by the announcement of several joint challenges and up to €15 million in ESA funding opportunities at MWC Barcelona 2024, aimed at stimulating innovation in terrestrial and satellite network integration. The collaboration leverages ESA's ARTES (Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems) program, a long-running initiative designed to support the development of advanced satcom products and services to keep European and Canadian industries competitive. The new fund aligns with ARTES 4.0's strategic goal of integrating satellite technologies into 5G and 6G networks to accelerate their rollout and impact. A key focus is on Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), which utilize satellites or high-altitude platforms to provide connectivity where ground-based networks can't reach. The global NTN market is projected to expand significantly, from $4 billion to over $23 billion by 2028, driven by applications in agriculture, maritime, aviation, and disaster response. This initiative aims to develop solutions for direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity and to establish new hybrid 5G/6G testing hubs. The development of 6G is a central theme, with commercial deployment expected around 2030. Europe is positioning itself as a leader in 6G through initiatives like the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU), which has a budget of €900 million to foster technological sovereignty. 6G is anticipated to integrate AI and machine learning at its core, enabling applications like holographic communication and massive digital twinning. Artificial Intelligence will be crucial for managing the complexity of these future networks. AI can optimize network performance, improve energy efficiency, automate operations, and enhance security by analyzing the vast amounts of data generated by telecom networks. This is essential for the vision of autonomous networks that can predict and adapt to changing conditions without human intervention. The GSMA Foundry, launched in 2021, acts as the GSMA's innovation arm, creating a collaborative environment to address challenges in the mobile industry by connecting startups, operators, and industry players to develop commercially viable ideas. This partnership with ESA provides a critical link between the terrestrial mobile ecosystem and the space industry, aiming to unlock new revenue streams estimated to be worth an additional $30-35 billion for the telecom industry by 2035.
