Professor Paolo Monti, Chalmers University of Technology and ECO-eNET project coordinator, recently took part in the 2025 IEEE Summer Topicals Meeting Series in Berlin, delivering a presentation during the dedicated session on Optical Access and 6G Networks.
His talk, titled “Confluent Edge Networks: Challenges and Opportunities”, outlined a key concept driving the ECO-eNET project: the integration of Free Space Optics (FSO), optical transport, and compute resources at the network edge. This vision supports the creation of energy-efficient, wireless-wireline mesh architectures capable of delivering the scalability, low latency, and resilience demanded by future 6G services.
“It was a great opportunity to share our architectural vision and explore the potential of federated AI and distributed orchestration in enabling sustainable and high-performance edge networks,” commented Monti.
He also highlighted the role of AI-native orchestration and optical-spectrum-as-a-service as two key enablers for this new class of networks – aligning closely with ECO-eNET’s mission to lay the foundations for converged, next-generation connectivity.
The IEEE Summer Topicals is an international forum designed to foster cross-disciplinary dialogue around rapidly evolving “hot topics” in photonics. Known for its intimate, topic-specific format, the conference typically attracts over 200 participants, with 30–50 attendees in each session – providing a unique opportunity for researchers to engage directly with experts and innovators in their field.
Special thanks were extended to session organisers Chris Vagionas, Fabienne Saliou, Colm Browning, and Shota Ishimura for curating a highly relevant and timely discussion.