PRIVATEER, a project co-funded by the Smart Networks Services (SNS) Joint Undertaking (JU), is paving the way for 6G “privacy-first security” through a privacy-by-design approach as it enters its final year of implementation. ERTICO is actively involved in three Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) scenarios that highlight the crucial role of 6G in Smart Mobility. By fostering Europe’s technological sovereignty and preparing for the early adoption of 6G, the project aligns with the broader goals of enabling digital and green transitions while boosting 5G deployment in Europe.
During the last months of 2024, the project has been actively engaged in key discussions across three significant events.
At the “Navigating Tomorrow: Future Challenges in Urban Mobility” meeting held in December 2024 in Brussels, PRIVATEER was featured prominently in a roundtable session co-organized by ESA-SAE-ERTICO. Dr Nikolaos Tsampieris, Head of Transport for Logistics at ERTICO, moderated Roundtable 4: The Importance of Resilient Vehicle Information – Cybersecurity for PNT and Connectivity, where PRIVATEER was referenced as a key initiative. This session addressed cybersecurity challenges for Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) systems and enhancing urban drone mobility through advanced technologies and regulatory harmonization. Dr Tsampieris further highlighted the project during the event’s final panel discussion, showcasing its role in driving secure, privacy-centric solutions for the future of mobility.
Moreover, at the ERTICO Cross-Sector Meeting on Research, Connectivity, and Traffic & Transport Sectors held on 25 November 2024, the project was highlighted during a workshop on AI and data. This session explored key enabling trends and technologies, including legislative initiatives like the Data Act, AI Act, and the development of mobility data spaces. Discussions focused on integrating cutting-edge technologies, such as Generative AI and Machine Learning, into Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) applications while ensuring privacy and public trust. PRIVATEER was showcased as a relevant initiative in advancing these objectives.
Last September, at the ITS World Congress in Dubai (organised by ERTICO), the PRIVATEER project was referenced in two Special Interest Sessions (SIS): “Developments and challenges with 5G/B5G for connectivity, safety, cybersecurity and profitability” and “Beyond 5G System modelling: Standards as enablers”. Moreover, the project was also presented at the European Stand by ERTICO.
The project has already developed important initial components, including prototypes for a data anonymization pipeline and a trustworthy AI model, which will be further refined in 2025. These advancements aim to enable secure and privacy-preserving data exchange over future 6G networks.
“PRIVATEER is a pioneering project, and we are committed to raising the Project visibility and continuing to provide our expertise, as the project leverages ITS to improve 6G Security while preserving user privacy in alignment with the EU 6G vision”, says Dr Nikolaos Tsampieris, ERTICO lead in the project.
Looking ahead to 2025, PRIVATEER is entering its final year with a focus on refining and validating its privacy-by-design security enablers in real-world conditions. Building on early prototypes—such as the data anonymization pipeline and trustworthy AI models—the consortium will integrate and test these solutions in a Beyond 5G (B5G) campus network across the project’s five vertical use case scenarios. Emphasis will also turn to expanded standardization activities in bodies such as 3GPP, ETSI, and the IETF, alongside open-source releases to foster industry-wide and research-oriented adoption. By project completion, PRIVATEER’s integrated framework will be primed for practical deployment, championing a 6G vision in which robust security and user privacy are fundamental.
