WueWoWAS'25 on
"6G Networks"

The Würzburg Workshop on Next-Generation Communication Networks (WueWoWAS'25) took place from October 6-8, 2025. About 45 participants from academia and industry discussed about 6G networks, covering advanced architectures, technologies and concepts that will enable the next generation of connectivity, intelligence and automation across multiple domains. 

A detailed workshop report is available online: https://doi.org/10.25972/OPUS-42709  

Technical Scope, Keynote Talks and Tutorials

The tradition and intention of the WueWoWAS workshop series is to foster communication among researchers from industry, universities, and other research institutes. To that end, the program featured technical talks on current research, peer-reviewed from an open call, keynote talks by experts of outstanding repute, and tutorial presentations. The technical sessions covered a wide range of subjects addressing various next-generation network paradigms. Some of these works used artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for 6G communication networks and, in particular, RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) telemetry, AI agents and agentic workflows to tackle misconfiguration in campus networks, or AI assisted intent based network management systems. Henning Sanneck (Apple) provided a keynote from the UE perspective on native AI/ML in 6G and especially current efforts in UE mobility, utilizing ML for the air interface and RAN (3GPP release 20), RSRP predictions, as well as predictive mobility in a flexible multi-connectivity and cell-free environment. This included an outlook on the emergence of advanced design patterns that integrate AI-native architectures and semantic communications towards self-evolving, context-aware networks beyond traditional connectivity.

From the perspective of verticals, industrial networking drives 6G toward deterministic, AI-enabled communication frameworks that integrate sensing, control, and connectivity to meet the stringent demands of industry applications. Johannes Riedl (Siemens) highlighted in his keynote the requirements of industrial networks and verticals. The vision is to enable vertical industries to focus on their application and innovation rather than operating the infrastructure, through zero-effort networking and providing connectivity as a service to industries. Key components are intent-based network orchestration using AI and ML, as well as technologies supporting deterministic networking like time-sensitive networking (TSN). The technical sessions included also methods of how to improve time synchronization accuracy for 5G links or time-aware shaping in TSN based on Centralized Network Controller (CNC) for dynamic reconfiguration to meet industrial requirements.

Several contributions addressed O-RAN, which is an open, interoperable architecture for mobile networks that disaggregates traditional RAN components and introduces open interfaces. Approaches were presented on how to optimize the RAN lifecycle management for industrial 5G using NetDevOps-driven deployment framework for industrial open RAN that replaces complex orchestration with infrastructure as code (IaC). Also, mobility was discussed in that context and, in particular, a UE-centric handover mechanism tailored for industrial Open RAN deployments that proactively initiates transitions before connectivity degrades below acceptable levels. Stanislav Lange (NTNU) provided a tutorial to the attendees on Open RAN and 5G campus networks setup. Key building blocks for setting up a private 5G testbed using Software-Defined Radios (SDRs), open source software components such as OpenAirInterface and srsRAN, and off-the-shelf modems / phones.

Several technical contributions emphasized the evaluation of network performance and quality of service (QoS), but also reliability and resilience, as well as power consumption and sustainability. One study presented a detailed assessment of power consumption and energy efficiency of fiber optic SFP modules. Frank Loh (University of Würzburg) gave a tutorial on energy measurements, metrics, and models, with a focus on methods for measuring power consumption in communication networks as well as software-based approaches for approximating the power consumption. Energy efficiency metrics from literature were revisited and pitfalls in their usage were discussed. Carmen Mas Machuca (Universität der Bundeswehr München) gave a tutorial on resilience metrics and models for communication networks. A variety of resilience metrics and their computation were discussed, providing meaningful guide for research. In the technical sessions, flow availabilities were also analyzed by investigating the correlation between minimal cut sets and flow availabilities, which was presented by Shakthivelu Janardhanan (TU Munich) who received the best student paper award. 

However, balancing sustainability, performance and resilience may introduce a fundamental research challenge for communication networks. One work considered to design photovoltaic-powered server clusters that operate energy-efficiently with minimal environmental impact while maintaining high performance and resilience under varying workloads and fault conditions. Novel approaches addressed island-ready 6G communication, which envisions resilient, self-sustaining networks capable of maintaining connectivity in isolated or infrastructure-limited environments. To this end, the conceptual model of island connectivity was introduced and results on the users' perspectives presented, which triggered discussions on the design implications for operators, developers, and authorities.

The next highlight was the keynote by Rastin Pries (Nokia) on spatial computing in the 6G era. The paradigm of spatial computing refers to technologies and concepts that merge the physical world, the digital world, and the human world. Spatial computing represents a paradigm shift in the manner in which human-computer interactions function, moving towards a more bidirectional model. The device serves not only to augment the user's perception of the world with digital information, but also to provide contextual information like the user's current physical context and gestures to the application. This requires advanced sensing, AI-driven data fusion, and low-latency processing to ensure accurate spatial awareness and seamless synchronization between physical and digital environments for real-time digital twins.

The paradigm of quantum communication was introduced by Karim Elsayed (Leibniz University Hannover) in a tutorial. Quantum communication forms the foundation for connecting multiple quantum computers to collaboratively solve complex problems. This approach is driven by the difficulty of sustaining large-scale quantum systems. Unlike classical communication, quantum communication is governed by unique quantum properties, requiring fundamentally new concepts and techniques. To this end, the tutorial introduced the core principles of quantum communication, its unique features, and evaluated the performance of the communication system for different approaches in light of these distinctive features.

Speed Mentoring and Reviewer Reflection Forum

A key part of the WueWoWAS workshops is the integration of PhD students into the research community and the exchange between academia and industry. This included the technical mentorship through focused tutorials, but also a dedicated speedmentoring session. In that speedmentoring event, PhD students were connected with leading experts from academia and industry for short, targeted discussions on research topics, emerging trends, and career development. The discussions continued at the social event in a traditional Würzburg restaurant, which served Bavarian cuisine and specialties like Franconian wine soup in a relaxed atmosphere. 

To integrate PhD students also in the academic review process, experienced PhD students were invited to participate as reviewers. A reviewer reflection forum session was part of the WueWoWAS'25 event in order to foster transparency and understanding of community standards from the perspective of reviewers and authors: what reviewers and authors value in the review process; what should be addressed in a submission and in a review; what practices to avoid; what is the hardest part as reviewer. Such community-oriented efforts are essential and highly relevant, as they cultivate an inclusive and supportive research ecosystem where early-career scientists can learn, connect, and contribute meaningfully. This was followed by open discussions on the focus theme for the next WueWoWAS workshop in 2026. Integrating PhD students into mentorship, peer reviews, and open discussions is key for their academic maturation and for strengthening the sense of belonging within the community and the vitality of the research community.

Thanks !

WueWoWAS'25 would like to thank our industrial partners Infosim and EMnify for providing financial support and the supporting projects ORIGAMI and SUSTAINET-Advance, without whom the workshop would not be possible. The event was technically co-sponsored by the VDE ITG expert group KT 2 on “Communication Networks and Systems” as well as the GI/ITG special interest group “Communication and Distributed Systems'” (KuVS). 

Finally, we thank all authors, contributors, reviewers, the keynote speakers, the tutorial speakers and students from the University of Würzburg. David Raunecker's tremendous support in the organization and efforts in the social activities are deserving of particular recognition. Their efforts made WueWoWAS'25 a success. We will see you at the next edition in 2026.

Tobias Hoßfeld (University of Würzburg, Co-Chair of KT 2 "Communication Networks and Systems")
Amr Rizk (Leibniz Universität Hannover, GI/ITG Special Interest Group KuVS)
Stefan Geißler (University of Würzburg)