The COREnext project is at a crucial milestone as it undergoes its Mid-term Review, bringing together project partners and reviewers to assess progress, achievements, and challenges. This review is essential for reflecting on the project’s ambition, its technological advancements, and the impact made in the first period. We are excited to talk with the COREnext Project Coordinator, Michael Roitzsch to gain insights into the review, discussing key highlights and lessons learned, and what lies ahead for the remainder of the project.  

During the Mid-term Review, there was a focus on the project’s ambition. How would you describe the progress made during the first period, and did it meet your expectations? 

MR: The overall goal of COREnext is to infuse the next generation of mobile communication networks with trustworthiness built-in by default. In the beginning of the project, we had to stake out what this actually means and how we could design an architecture to support this vision. From this architecture, concrete component needs were derived. In the first period, the COREnext project not only delivered all of this work but can already show the first prototypes on the required components. We now have the building blocks we can put together in the second period. 

In the technology achievements section, WP2 Trustworthiness and use cases were presented. What key developments have been made in ensuring trustworthiness across the project’s use cases, and why are they important for COREnext’s success? 

MR: We selected three model use cases as condensation points for our thinking about trustworthiness. These are: augmented reality and XR, automotive infrastructure, and a smart city platform. Each of these use cases has clear requirements, where they are different from others: XR needs very low latency communication and high throughput data transfer. Automotive applications must securely coordinate between multiple participants and roadside infrastructure all acting within a distributed system. Finally, smart city use case emphasizes sustainability and energy efficiency needs. But across all these, trustworthiness is a common concern. 

With WP3 focusing on disaggregation and computing architecture, how is the project advancing in terms of its goal to create a robust computing architecture for the next-generation infrastructure? 

MR: In WP3, the project architecture must balance contradicting needs. Just some examples: Disaggregation increases flexibility by allowing flexible assignment of compute jobs to resources but can worsen energy consumption and overall efficiency. Improving security and isolation of processing workloads benefits trustworthiness but can worsen communication latency. We must think about these trade-offs and find solutions that balance or work around these constraints. 

What are the key milestones achieved so far in the development of digital components, and how do they align with the project’s overall objectives (WP4)? 

MR: WP4 addresses key elements of the mobile communication signal processing chain, replacing or advancing existing components to improve energy efficiency and trustworthiness. We have the first prototypes based on RISC-V processors as well as the M3 architecture for isolated computation. These components will be developed further and evaluated in the second period. 

What specific roles do the analog components play in the broader context of the project’s architecture, especially in terms of signal processing and energy management (WP5)? 

MR: The wireless radio interface is the most exposed and therefore most attackable interface. We have to particularly harden it against spoofing and malicious communication. In addition, we are developing polymer fibers as a novel interconnect technology for energy efficient disaggregation. These components complement the COREnext architecture. 

What are the primary goals of the computation-communication platform integration, and what progress has been made toward achieving them (WP7)? 

MR: Within WP7, COREnext will follow in the footsteps of the COREnect project and consult with industry and other external experts to compose a roadmap for further research needed. Within the first period, we conducted initial discussions internally but will bring these thoughts to a wider audience in the second period. 

What have been the key findings from the lab validation tests conducted so far, and how do they impact the project’s development trajectory (WP6)? 

MR: Lab validation is still mostly in the planning phase and will ramp up significantly in the second period. We will verify that the components we have developed actually meet the expectations required by the COREnext architecture. This work package will be the ultimate reality check for our research. 

The review agenda highlights a discussion on the project’s impact. What have been the major challenges or successes in demonstrating the technical output from period 1, and how has it influenced the next steps for COREnext? 

MR: COREnext has made great progress in the first period. We have summarized our viewpoints, our vision, and our agenda in a whitepaper. It is available on the project website and presents our mission of bringing trustworthiness to the future of our communication infrastructure. 

The COREnext project aims to contribute to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). How do you see the project’s technological advancements aligning with these SDGs, and what impact do you anticipate in terms of sustainability and societal benefits? 

MR: We believe that trustworthiness in something as essential as our communication networks is a major foundation for our democratic society. In this sense, we contribute to the goals of stability and privacy. But COREnext also contributes to improving energy efficiency, which helps to realize a sustainable energy future. 

How has the project management strategy ensured smooth coordination among the different work packages, and what are the key challenges in managing such a multidisciplinary team across various technical areas (WP1)? 

MR: Our approach has been to foster collaboration amongst the partners with a flexible meeting structure. Ultimately, it is the individual researchers who make the tangible contributions, so it is also important to give them enough time and space to do their best work. Regularly we meet in person or online to update each other and coordinate the way forward. 

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