ultra-massive MIMO for future cell-free heterogeneous networks

Project Information

MiFuture

Grant agreement ID: 101119643

DOI

10.3030/101119643

EC signature date 12 July 2023

Start date 1 January 2024

End date 31 December 2027

Funded under

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 4 038 994,80

Coordinated by

UNIVERSIDAD CARLOS III DE MADRID
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MiFuture (ultra-massive MIMO for future cell-free heterogeneous networks)

Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The increasing demand of higher data rates while ensuring sustainability through reduced energy consumption levels call for a collective effort to define and set up the new generation of mobile communications. It is expected that some of the newly arising services will need to accurately map the environment for a seamless interaction of the physical and the digital worlds, and then require a combination of communications, positioning and sensing. The vision of MiFuture is that an evolution of massive multiple input – multiple output (MIMO), the technique that has provided the unprecedented spectral efficiency of 5G, towards ultra-massive MIMO (UmMIMO), will be a key ingredient in the future mobile radio access network. MiFuture will pave the path towards the implementation of heterogeneous cell-free networks with an ultra-massive number of antennas that will satisfy the throughput, energy efficiency, positioning accuracy and feasible complexity requirements that the evolution of mobile communications towards 6G demands.
This evolution will require a new generation of excellent researchers able to address the emerging complex engineering problems that the thriving area of mobile communications is facing. MiFuture will develop a high-level personalised multidisciplinary programme to provide 15 Ph.D. candidates, supervised by committed experts from industry and academia, with research competences and transferable skills (e.g. entrepreneurship, project management, IPR, open access) with the long-term goal to lead scientific advances in the new concepts arising in the field of wireless communications. These creative young researchers will face real world implementation, work across multiple European countries and organisations, become knowledgeable in standardisation activities, present at workshops in front of researchers and industrial stakeholders and interact with the general public to make them aware of how 6G can help in their daily lives.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the reporting period, MiFuture has made substantial progress in its technical and scientific activities, consolidating the core research directions of the project and advancing the individual research projects of all recruited Doctoral Candidates (14 DCs).

All DCs have been fully integrated into their host institutions and have actively pursued their Individual Research Projects (IRPs), covering key topics related to ultra-massive MIMO and future cell-free heterogeneous networks. These include, among others, integrated sensing and communications (ISAC), OTFS-based waveform design, positioning-aided beamforming, AI-native procedures for UmMIMO, cell-free resource allocation, machine-learning-based localization, hybrid intelligent surfaces, and experimental validation of advanced 5G/6G antenna technologies. Several research contributions have already resulted in peer-reviewed conference publications and journal submissions, demonstrating early scientific impact.

At project level, several major technical deliverables have been successfully completed, providing the methodological and architectural foundations for the next research phases. These deliverables were prepared with broad participation from DCs and supervisors, fostering cross-work-package alignment and a shared technical vision across the consortium.

The Mid-Term Meeting, held in March, represented a major scientific milestone, enabling in-depth technical exchange, presentation of DC research objectives and results, and interaction with leading academic and industrial experts. Overall, the project is progressing according to plan and has successfully transitioned from initial setup to consolidated scientific production.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

MiFuture is generating results that go beyond the current state of the art in several strategic areas relevant to future 6G systems. Novel algorithms, analytical frameworks, and experimental methodologies are being developed to address limitations of existing massive MIMO, cell-free, and sensing-enabled communication systems.

Key advances include new channel estimation and tracking techniques for high-mobility and near-field scenarios, positioning-aided beamforming methods that reduce latency and overhead, AI-native approaches for resource management in ultra-dense networks, and hybrid intelligent surface–assisted sensing and localization frameworks. In addition, experimentally validated methodologies for assessing advanced antenna and RIS technologies contribute to bridging the gap between theoretical research and real-world deployment.

These results have strong potential impact on future wireless network design, standardization, and industrial adoption. To ensure further uptake and success, continued validation through large-scale simulations, experimental demonstrations, and field trials will be essential. Engagement with standardization bodies, further industry-driven secondments, and sustained open-science dissemination will support technology transfer, IPR generation, and long-term exploitation. Additional research will focus on scalability, robustness, and integration into future 6G architectures.