DEDICAT 6G - Dynamic coverage extension and distributed intelligence for human centric applications with assured security, privacy and trust: From 5G to 6G

5G networks offer unparalleled data rates and features. However these are still far from what a hyperconnected society and industry needs. Future wireless connectivity Beyond 5G (B5G)/6G will require a smart and green platform that is ultra-fast, highly adaptive, and dependable to support innovative, human-centric applications securely. This is the focus of the EU-funded DEDICAT 6G project, the vision and methodology of which is presented in this paper. DEDICAT 6G investigates enablers for dynamic distribution of intelligence to improve task execution time, energy efficiency, and ultimately, reduce end-to-end latency. The project also examines solutions for dynamic coverage extensions utilizing robots, connected vehicles and drones. The scope also comprises methods for security, privacy, and trust assurance including enablers for novel interaction between humans and digital systems exploiting innovative interfaces and devices, like smart glasses. DEDICAT 6G focuses on four representative 6G use cases: Smart Warehousing, Enhanced Experience, Public Safety and Smart Highway. The developed solutions will be demonstrated and tested in these use cases through experiments in laboratory environments, and larger field evaluations utilizing diverse assets and testing facilities. The aim is to derive results that will showcase substantial improvements in terms of intelligent network load balancing and resource allocation, extended coverage, enhanced security, privacy and trust and human-machine applications,