6G洞见 | Prof. Papadias：6G产学研用尽早合作，有助于将研究成果最大化

时间：2025-04-04 来源：

【6G洞见】访谈

面向6G，空天地一体化的网络面临着通信环境复杂不确定、异构网络体系差异大、多维资源稀疏高动态、海量业务需求多样化等难题，低空经济发展热潮也进一步对网络的通感一体、定位与导航、监控与管理、安全等能力提出了更高的要求。

大会前夕，“空天地一体化与数字低空”平行会议联合主席、希腊美国学院（ACG）副院长、Constantinos B. Papadias教授通过视频表示对参加此次大会充满期待。

同时，Constantinos B. Papadias教授也参与了大会“6G洞见”栏目访谈，他着重提到，6G产学研用尽早合作，有助于将研究成果最大化。

6G洞见

Q1：从去年开始，6G大会的一个重要焦点是“全行业共同定义6G”。这一理念不仅强调核心通信技术与人工智能、计算能力和传感的集成，还强调跨部门协作，以确保未来的6G网络有效地满足行业需求。您如何解读这种“跨行业协作定义6G”的趋势？您是否已经探索或参与了这类跨领域合作？或者能分享一些见解吗？

Q1：Since last year, a major focus of the 6G conference has been the idea of "Defining 6G Together Across Industries". This concept emphasizes not only the integration of core communication technologies with AI, computing power, and sensing, but also cross-sector collaboration to ensure the future 6G networks effectively serve industry needs. How do you interpret this trend of "cross-industry collaboration in defining 6G"? Have you already explored or engaged in any cross-sector collaborations related to your research? If so, could you share some insights?

Prof. Papadias：The proliferation of technologies that will enable 6G (such as the ones mentioned above, but also others, such as reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, flexible antenna systems, non-terrestrial networks, etc.) does not only push the boundaries of each domain, but also brings together different technology sectors. A prime example is ISAC technology (integrated sensing and communications), which brings together the communication and the radar communities. Another one is liquid antenna systems, which bring together the domains of fluid dynamics, antenna systems, and electronics. Cross-sector collaboration also takes place between different industries, such as the automotive, radar and mobile network industries; UAV and wireless; satellite, other non-terrestrial and terrestrial; energy utilities and cellular networks, etc. These are brought together not only because of the presented opportunities, but also because of increased network / application / end-user requirements, e.g. regarding energy footprint, reduced cost, ubiquitous coverage, etc.

My recent research in energy-neutral aerial base stations through EU MSCA Project PAINLESS is an example where wireless and energy experts had to join forces. My ongoing research in ISAC for automotive applications, under EU MSCA project ISLANDS brings together experts from the mobile and the automotive communities. Another example, from many years ago, was that of the collaboration of civil engineers with wireless engineers in EU MSCA Project SMARTEN, for structural monitoring via wireless sensors powered by the vibration of the monitored structure.

6G洞见

Q2：今年的6G大会特别强调在6G研究的早期阶段融入面向行业的思维，目标是确保创新从大学或研究所实验室顺利过渡到市场，实现真正的行业应用。从你的角度来看，从技术创新到产业化，您认为未来6G产业生态构建的最大挑战是什么？您能否分享一些您自己的研究中关于将实验室创新与行业应用联系起来的努力或成功的见解或经验？

Q2：This year's conference places particular emphasis on incorporating industry-oriented thinking at the earliest stages of 6G research. The goal is to ensure innovations transition smoothly from university or research institute laboratories to the market, achieving genuine industry application. From your perspective, what are the most significant challenges in moving 6G technologies from academic and research settings into practical industrial implementation? Could you share some insights or experiences from your own research regarding efforts or successes in bridging laboratory innovation with industry applications?

Prof. Papadias：The key for a research effort to make an impact on the market is to formulate, from the beginning, relevant problems, i.e. such that, if successful, they can make a difference. Academic research in various fields often takes a more incremental approach, trying to improve on the latest techniques from the literature. But this may not be always beneficial for real systems and may not address the important challenges. Another important ingredient for impact, especially in our field, is to accompany the research findings with experimental work, early on. Such work may be either in the lab, e.g. using an over-the-air testbed, or may involve outdoor trials, or realistic network-level simulation and possibly, interaction with actual deployed or experimental networks. This will help raise the technology readiness level quite fast, opening up the road for benefiting real systems and possibly resulting in commercial exploitation.

Discussing with the end users or with the target communities or industries is also important, in order to understand their needs, which may be different than (or a specific subset of) the usual KPI targets that each generation of mobile networks imposes. Finally, collaboration and partnership with entities that represent different links of the value chain (e.g. including Universities, research centers, manufacturers, standardization / pre-standardization groups, operators, end users, etc.) also helps maximize the relevance of the research findings.

In my own work over the years, I have been involved in various research expeditions that involve the above practices. Examples include participating in some early MIMO experiments performed over-the-air, both indoors and outdoors (while at Bell Labs); working with developers and standards representatives for the adoption of a key space-time diversity technique in 3G networks (also while at Bell Labs); demonstrating over-the-air, in a lab environment, spatial multiplexing over a single RF-based antenna array for the first time (within EU FET project CROWN); demonstrating interference alignment over-the-air (within EU FET project HIATUS); demonstrating an aerial base station for self-backhauled wireless access on a drone (EU MSCA Project PAINLESS); demonstrating solar-powered environmental monitoring with hybrid directional antennas (EU Project FIREMAN), among others. Several of these experiments were followed by similar commercial or standardized systems a few years later.

6G洞见

Q3：未来，移动通信从地面2D网络发展成空天地一体化3D网络，需要解决地面网络和空中网络相融合的问题，并需要应对网络融合后性能相互制约的问题。您如何看待这个问题？

Q3：In the future, mobile communication will evolve from ground-based 2D networks to integrated 3D networks that combine air, space, and ground. This requires addressing the issue of the integration of ground-based and airborne networks, as well as the problem of performance constraints after network integration. How do you view this issue?

Prof. Papadias：In some ways, 3D wireless networks are already a reality – think for example of a smartphone that connects both to a terrestrial base station for 5G connectivity and to several satellites for navigation. The need to provide ubiquitous connectivity not only to humans, but also to machines (e.g. to wireless IoT nodes in remote / inaccessible areas), as well as the increasing need to connect flying objects (such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, high altitude platforms (HAPs), commercial airplanes, both to the ground and to satellites, will enhance this trend. The big challenge will be to integrate all these nodes in a single network, that will be of course very powerful but also complex due to the performance constraints that you mentioned and several other issues of compatibility, provisioning and operation.

My view is that we will see a multi-tiered approach, where each terrestrial or aerial segment will play its own role, within its capabilities and limitations, and where, possibly, some tiers will collaborate with others in a dynamic way, based on the required application or service.

2025全球6G技术大会发出首个征集令「6G星辰·青年科学家」