6G-REFERENCE took part in the Mobile World Congress 2026 (MWC26), held from 2-5 March 2026 at Fira Barcelona Gran Via in Barcelona (Spain), represented by our coordinator, Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (CTTC), which showcased our project and offered demonstrations of our antenna technologies at its exhibition booth throughout the four-day event.
Recognised as the world’s largest event for the connectivity ecosystem, the congress brings together industry leaders, research organisations, policymakers and innovators to explore the latest advances in mobile communications and emerging technologies.
Demonstration of 6G-REFERENCE’s Antenna Technologies
At the CTTC stand, located in booth 8, inside the Catalonia Pavilion in the Congress Square 110-120, visitors had the opportunity to explore our key technological components developed within 6G-REFERENCE, including the integrated circuit and antenna component solutions to enhance urban connectivity beyond what is possible with 5G.
Our coordinator, Ignacio Llamas, Senior Researcher at CTTC, delivered a demonstration of our antenna arrays and Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) designed for future 6G networks on 4 March. The demonstration took place during a visit to the booth by representatives from the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) and the European Commission. He presented an overview of the project’s integrated circuit and antenna designs, and explained how these components contribute to enabling high-frequency, high-efficiency wireless systems for future 6G deployments.
The demonstration illustrated how 6G-REFERENCE combines antenna engineering and Radio Frequency (RF) front-end innovation to support advanced communication scenarios expected in next-generation networks. The session also provided an opportunity to discuss the project’s technical approach among the attendees, including Chiara Mazzone, Programme Officer at SNS JU; Pavlos Fournogerakis, Deputy Head of Programmes at SNS JU; and Javier Albares, Head of 5G & 6G Programs at SNS JU.
In words of Ignacio Llamas:
“Our presence at this year’s MWC Barcelona enabled us to present the 6G-REFERENCE antenna technologies to an international audience and to engage directly with representatives from the SNS JU, the European Commission and the wider 6G and connectivity ecosystem. The event was an excellent opportunity to increase the visibility of the project’s results and to strengthen networking with potential collaborators to shape the 6G research landscape.” – Ignacio Llamas, Senior Researcher at CTTC and 6G-REFERENCE Coordinator.
Networking at MWC 2026: 6G-REFERENCE at the CTTC Booth
Beyond the official demonstration on the third day of the event, the CTTC booth served as a meeting point for researchers, industry representatives and stakeholders interested in emerging 6G technologies, since our innovators presented the antenna prototypes and RIS solutions developed within 6G-REFERENCE.
These interactions fostered exchanges with experts from across the connectivity ecosystem, helping to increase the visibility of the project’s results within the 6G research community. As Carles Anton Haro, Director of European Programs & Industry Contracts at CTTC, explains in the video below, in the booth four live demos were delivered, covering compact 6G antennas, near-field communications with three-polarised antennas, digital twins for realistic 6G network evaluation, and AI-driven Network-as-a-Service for immersive XR.
The SNS JU Activities at MWC 2026
The Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) also participated at the Mobile World Congress 2026, highlighting Europe’s strategic vision for next-generation connectivity. One of the highlight of its participation was the session ‘6G, Cloud, Edge, AI: The New Power Stack for Industrial Leadership – A European Vision for Future Connectivity’, held on 2 March 2026 at the Marconi Stage in Hall 6. The session brought together leading industry executives and policymakers to discuss how the convergence of 6G technologies, artificial intelligence, cloud and edge computing will transform digital infrastructures and enable new industrial applications in Europe.
During the congress, the SNS JU also announced €116 million in EU funding for 20 new research and innovation projects, further strengthening Europe’s leadership in 6G development. These initiatives address a wide range of domains, including healthcare, autonomous mobility and logistics, Industry 4.0, immersive media, space communications, and next-generation radio systems. The investment forms part of a broader effort to accelerate advanced 5G and early 6G experimentation, with future flagship programmes expected to mobilise more than €270 million in additional funding in the coming years.
The SNS JU projects present at MWC 2026 were: 6G-SANDBOX, Imagine-B5G, CENTRIC, 6G-VERSUS, SNS INSTINCT 6G, ORIGAMI, 6G-EWOC, 6G-PATH, UNITY-6G, ADROIT6G, 6G-BRICKS, 6G-DALI, FLECON-6G, 5G-STARDUST, 6G-TWIN, SUNRISE-6G, MultiX-6G, ETHER, FirstTo6G, and 6G-REFERENCE.