NATWORK - Pioneering Secure, Energy-Efficient 6G Networks with Bio-Inspired Intelligence

NATWORK sets a bold vision to establish the first economically viable, energy-efficient, bio-inspired AI-based cybersecurity and resilience framework for 6G networks. Designed to address the unique challenges of future intelligent networking and services, NATWORK takes a holistic approach—integrating cross-sectoral requirements to ensure secure, adaptive, and sustainable connectivity.

At its core, NATWORK is developing a self-adaptive security architecture built on biomimicry principles and federated AI. This enables 6G ecosystems to self-regulate, maintain service continuity, and ensure SLA compliance—while optimizing energy usage. Through a decentralized architecture, AI-powered models will operate at the physical layer, within smart Edge NICs and RAN devices, using high-performance DPU acceleration and local AI training at wire-speed.

NATWORK tackles complex 6G security challenges including Moving Target Defense, adaptive threat response, deep control flow monitoring, and sustainable AI-powered defense mechanisms. Its architecture promotes secure-by-design microservices, modular orchestration, and a high degree of interoperability—allowing horizontal and vertical integration across multiple domains.

Key objectives include:

• Providing end-to-end, explainable AI-based security for 6G networks.
• Ensuring energy-efficient, Net-Zero AI-driven management for resilient network performance.
• Embedding Physical Layer Security to enhance wireless link protection without relying on encryption.
• Defining standardization contributions and business models for long-term viability.

The project validates its approach through four ambitious use cases:

1. Sustainable 6G slices – minimizing energy use while ensuring trust and security.
2. Anti-jamming for autonomous vehicles – using AI to protect AV communications in real time.
3. IoT security – securing constrained devices with network-provided intelligence.
4. Continuous adaptive security – enabling real-time defense in highly dynamic environments like drones and robotics.

With its modular, AI-native, and bio-inspired design, NATWORK is laying the foundation for the next generation of secure, resilient, and sustainable 6G networks—empowering innovation while ensuring digital sovereignty and trust.