Italtel leads WP6 as the NANCY Project enters Its Proof-of-Concept phase for Next-Gen Smart and Secure Networks

The NANCY project, funded by the Horizon Europe programme, is moving into its Proof-of-Concept phase, marking a key milestone in the evolution of smart, secure, and flexible next-generation communication networks.

NANCY integrates several advanced technologies — including AI-based network automation, next-generation radio access, edge-cloud computing, blockchain-enabled security, and quantum-safe communication — to deliver faster, more resilient and trustworthy digital services.

In this new phase, two years of research will be tested in realistic environments across Europe.

Italtel, as leader of Work Package 6 (WP6) and coordinator of the Italian in-lab testbed at its Milan headquarters, plays a central role in validating these innovations.

WP6 brings together all NANCY components — from AI resource management to radio access technologies and blockchain/quantum-safe mechanisms — assessing their performance in real conditions.

By integrating systems across six testbeds in Greece, Italy and Spain, and across three Proof-of-Concept scenarios, WP6 transforms NANCY’s ideas into validated, deployable solutions that support Europe’s future intelligent and secure networks.