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White Papers & Reports

This page is dedicated to store all the White Papers and Reports related to the NGI Initiative.

NGI papers

  • Next Generation Internet Brochure (EC brochure | September 2019)
    NGI comprises an ambitious research and innovation programme with an EC investment of more than €250m between 2018 and 2020. Focus is on advanced technology including privacy and trust, search and discovery, decentralised architectures, blockchain, IoT, social media, interactive technologies, as well as technologies supporting multilingualism and accessibility.
  • A vision for the future Internet – read the longform here (NGI FORWARD | working paper)
    The purpose of this paper is to set out an ambitious vision for the European Commission to create a more democratic, resilient, sustainable, trustworthy and inclusive internet by 2030. To achieve this effort, we must first understand where we are now by taking a holistic look at the challenges we face today and discussing the complex web of issues we must address layer by layer. Second, it is essential to set our vision for 2030 for each of the five key pillars: Democracy, Resilience, Sustainability, Trust and Inclusion. And finally, how we get there, and for that, we work out some of the specific interventions, policy instruments and technological solutions we need to get closer to our vision. The intention of this paper is, therefore, to serve as a call to action to the European Commission as well as Europe’s internet community, from national and city- level policymakers to civil society, from innovators to the general public, to take concerted action to turn the ideas outlined in this paper into reality.
  • Internet of Waste – read the longform here (NGI FORWARD | working paper)
    Connected devices and internet services can have a significant impact on the environment and climate that we often underestimate. Although the digital economy is often described as intangible, our dependence on connectivity has tangible costs. We may not see or feel it immediately, but every message, like, and video call leaves a mark on the planet in one way or another. Promising policy ideas are already in development, but some of them lack serious engagement with technology’s unique dual role in the looming climate crisis.
    This report provides context, statistics, and an overview of the broader issues surrounding the Internet’s footprint. It proposes four pillars that should make up a comprehensive European approach to Internet sustainability. In addition, the report traces the life cycle of an internet device and the services it can access. Along the way, recommendations are made where there is potential for policy intervention, greater consumer awareness or improved industry practices.
  • NGI: the people building the Internet of tomorrow (NGI4ALL | position paper)
    The NGI initiative is an ambitious research and innovation programme with more than €250 million EC funding to address global sustainability challenges while searching for a Human Internet that respects the fundamental values of privacy, participation and diversity. Under NGI, researchers and innovators across Europe are running projects in a wide range of areas, from cryptography to federated identity and from search technology to secure operating systems. In this document, we will learn about some of the verticals, the resources dedicated to them, and some of the projects will be explained by the people who work on them every day. This is how we get to know the most personal face of the projects.
  • NGI: expertise to select, fund, mentor and coordinate Next Generation Internet projects (NGI4ALL | position paper)
    Innovators and researchers are the stars of the Next Generation Internet, but their ideas and projects would never become reality without proper financial support and effective business guidance. At the core of the NGI initiative, groups of dedicated experts evaluate the potential in projects and people – they select who gets funding, they provide technical and business advice and they coordinate within and between projects, so that together we can build a better Internet. In this paper, we will learn through the vision of RIAs coordinators, how they are managed, how funds are distributed, and the key characteristics of each. Andres Sanchez, coordinator of NGI Ledger, Alasdair Reid, coordinator of NGI Trust and Michiel Leenaars, coordinator of NGI Zero will share their vision and approach to the new NGI system for funding researchers and innovators in Europe.
  • Next Generation Internet. The Internet of Humans (NGI4ALL | EC brochure)
    The NGI comprises an ambitious research and innovation programme with an EC investment of more than €250 million between 2018 and 2020. It focuses on advanced technologies such as privacy and trust, search and discovery, decentralised architectures, blockchain, IoT, social media, interactive technologies, and technologies supporting multilingualism and accessibility.
    In this paper, all the key data of the initiative is available to everyone. Budget, ongoing projects, statistics and many other data are explained, giving the reader an overview of the ambitious European plan to support innovation aiming to reshape the internet for the next generations.
  • NGI for an Internet of Humans (NGI4ALL | position paper)
    In this position paper, learn more about the main areas of the NGI initiative, the reason for its creation, and the path forward. While technological progress is expanding the possibilities of the Internet, people’s trust in it is not increasing at the same rate. On the contrary, this trust, which is one of the pillars of technology acceptance, has eroded in recent years. With half of humanity already having access to the internet and Europeans spending an average of seven hours a day online, there is an urgent need to invest time and resources in shaping a better internet for us and for future generations. Through tailored funding and adapted policies, the NGI initiative aims to shape the evolution of the internet into a people’s internet that meets people’s basic needs, including trust, security and inclusion, and reflects the values and standards we enjoy in Europe.
  • Debate with the EC about Next Generation Internet hot topics and calls for proposals (NGI & NEM | report)
    In this document, you will find details of the NGI Futur.e.s in Festival, an event organized by CapDigital in collaboration with the New European Media (NEM) Initiative and supported by Vital Media EU-funded project. The event took place on 21 June 2018 under the name “Should Open Data end where Data Protection begins?”. During the main event in the form of a debate, different visions were presented: the entrepreneur, the technologist, the lawyer and the European Commission had their say. The speakers discussed 4 key topics: Governance, cross-border internet, business models and education, culture and citizens’ awareness. In this way, a comprehensive picture emerged of the different issues that Open Data raises and how the NGI initiative deals with them.
  • A BETTER PLACE – TOWARDS A COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE FOR EUROPE (NGI Move | white paper)
    This white paper guides readers through a complex topic of concern to mankind and presents the issuing body’s philosophy on the subject. It is intended to help readers understand that we need to work on infrastructures and visions of society in the coming years to create a common ground for action. We do not lack the technological means; what we lack is a coordinated approach that balances regulation, experimentation, and civic engagement.
    An even more connected world with intelligent machines is coming. The recognition that it is impossible to address the current complex situation from a single perspective becomes our greatest resource for launching a European movement of citizens and professionals, all committed in different ways to ensuring a desirable outcome for what looks like the final moment in history when humans are in full control.
    Through the interviews collected in this document, the problem is known from different angles, the current state of affairs is recognized, and several proposals are put on the table.
  • White paper on stakeholder engagement (SpeakNGI.eu | white paper)
  • Innovators shaping the next generation internet – The Early Adopters Club (SpeakNGI.eu | booklet)
  • Opinion Forming in the Digital Age Public Recomendations (HUB4NGI | report)
  • NEXT GENERATION INTERNET: THE EMERGING RESEARCH CHALLENGES (HUB4NGI | white paper)
  • NEXT GENERATION INTERNET: RESULTS OF THE NGI NATIONAL WORKSHOPS AND THE NGI SURVEY – updated 11/2018 (HUB4NGI | white paper)
  • NEXT GENERATION INTERNET: INNOVATORS ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY (HUB4NGI | white paper)
  • NEXT GENERATION INTERNET: CLASSIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY (HUB4NGI | white paper)
  • Responsible AI – Key Themes, Concerns & Recommendations for European Research and Innovation (HUB4NGI | report)

NGI RIAs papers

NGI Trust

  • Impact Evaluation & Lessons Learnt
    This report presents the main findings of the Impact Evaluation of NGI Trust project as well as lessons learned from the project, concluding remarks and recommendations that serve as a basis for future research and innovation actions.  NGI Trust impact evaluation confirmed that the project was successful in selecting high-quality third-party projects and meeting its objective to “build on the state of the art in privacy and trust-enhancing technologies by funding projects in priority topics”. NGI Trust not only boosted innovation and helped participating projects progress significantly along the “innovation funnel” (nearly 85% of NGI Trust funded projects advanced their technology readiness level), but also contributed to establishing a sustainable European brand of innovation. NGI Trust is putting important technology and frameworks in the hands of many.

THINK NEXUS

  • Advanced Wireless Networking – Glenn Ricart
    Rapid advances in advanced wireless networking herald a renaissance in extending the power of the Internet to completely new classes of mobile and real-time applications. It is already beginning to unfold with the arrival of 3GPP releases 15 and 16 commonly known as 5G. But the technology still on the horizon promises considerably more. The implications will have substantial economic, political, and national security impacts.
  • Policy Brief 4 – Innovative Vertical Solutions Enabled by Next Generation Networks
    Even prior to the COVID-19 crisis that has highlighted the critical need for broad access to telecommunications networks, Europe had already decided to “enhance its industrial capacity in digital infrastructures” and more specifically “be a frontrunner in 6G networks”. The Digital Strategy from the European Commission (EC) goes even further, by stating that “European technological sovereignty starts from ensuring the integrity and resilience of our data infrastructure, networks and communications” and that “Europe must invest more in the strategic capacities that allow us to develop and use digital solutions at scale and to strive for interoperability in key digital infrastructures, such as extensive 5G (and future 6G) networks”.
  • Policy Brief 3 – Social Media for Natural Hazards: a fertile field for collaboration between EU and US in Science and Technology
    As stated by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), a disaster can be defined as “a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope with using its own resources.” In the last few decades, societies have become increasingly aware of the fact that disasters can be analysed as the result of long-term processes; whereby the risk is created years or decades before the disaster manifests itself.
  • Policy Brief 2 – Blockchain for Health
    Vast amounts of health data are now produced, gathered and stored in electronic health records (EHRs) in multiple formats, during citizens’ medical examinations both across Europe and the US. This is largely a result of the explosion of available technological devices and medical services, which are nowadays used by citizens. Citizens and health-oriented entities generate data but the data do not flow among these entities in a seamless, cohesive and standardized way. Rather, healthcare involves a diverse set of public and private data collection isolated systems (“silos”), including health surveys, administrative enrolment, billing records, and medical records, used by various entities such as hospitals, medical doctors, health authorities, pharmacies or even citizens in different countries and regions.
  • Policy Brief 1 – Surveillance and Analytics in the Deep Web
    Digital technology has transformed the lives of ordinary citizens as this new digital world can offer amazing life altering benefits. Yet the real strengths of the internet for the citizen are also the very features that can be turned against the citizen by those wishing to instil terror in hearts and minds. A particular concern is that extremists and terrorists are using digital media to communicate, collaborate, recruit, plan campaigns, spread their messages, and persuade. As a result, the malicious potential of the internet has become a primary concern for governments, which constantly try to enhance their ability to respond to new and emerging national security threats in the constantly changing digital era.
  • White Paper 3: Empowering Women in Tech
    This white paper reviews and compares the state of digital empowerment for women in Europe and the United States, relying on contributions exclusively from female digital leaders in the sector of NGI.
  • White Paper 2: A Path for EU-US Cooperation in 5G/6G
    The EU and the US both consider 5G to be critical for technological sovereignty. 5G networks shall be secure and trusted and ensure privacy by design. Based on those commonalities, this note explores opportunities for the EU and the US to cooperate in 5G and 6G.
  • White Paper 1: Artificial Intelligence – Comparision of US’s and EU’s approaches
    The European Commission has made Artificial Intelligence (AI) one of its priority. Its goal is to “boost EU’s research and industrial capacity and to put AI at the service of European citizens and economy”by dealing with technological, ethical, legal and socio-economic aspects of AI in order to stay at the forefront of this technological revolution, to ensure competitiveness and to shape the conditions for its development and use.

NGI FORUM & events reports

  • NGI PANEL – Shaping the Future of the Internet (NGI4ALL | report)
  • NGI FORUM 2023 (NGI4ALL | report)
    At the NGI Forum 2023 – the flagship event of the European Commission’s Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative – over 220 on-site and 700 online
    policymakers, researchers, innovators, industry representatives, and users dived
    into the major trends of the future technological transition of the internet.
    Topics included digital commons, decentralised social media, digital identity,
    open-source supply chain security, web search and large language models,
    quantum internet, and many more. The event offered participants an
    opportunity to gain valuable insights from experts, exchange ideas with peers,
    stay up-to-date with the latest trends and advancements in the Internet, and
    be part of a community that is actively working towards a safer, more open
    Internet.
  • NGI WEBINAR: Digital Commons and Digital Sovereignty (NGI4ALL | report)
  • Gemma Carollilo Presenting the NGI initiative at the Connect University(report)
  • NGI FORUM 2021 (NGI4ALL | report)
    The NGI Forum 2021 was held online from 18-19 May, and featured an introduction by Olivier Bringer, Head of Unit Next Generation Internet, EC and an opening speech by Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Markets, EC on a “Vision of the Future Internet”. This report summarises sessions which showcased the first NGI results, featured ground breaking Internet technologies, discussed future priorities such as trust and data sovereignty, Internet architecture, decentralized technologies and new methods of search. It also gave insights in to upcoming calls with Horizon Europe. The event also featured thematic workshops on a wide range of topics.
  • NGI FORUM 2019 (NGI4ALL | report)
    The NGI Forum 2019 was held on 25 September in Helsinki, Finland. It featured a welcome by Olivier Bringer, Head of Unit Next Generation Internet, EC; the perspective of Finland by Mikko Koskinen, State Secretary, Finland as EC presidency host; the perspective of a digital city by Pia Pakarinen, Deputy Mayor of the City of Helsinki; and an inspirational speech by Martin Wezowski, Futurist and Chief Innovation Officer at SAP. Panel discussions were held on ‘Shaping a new Internet’; ‘Who’s NGI?’ meeting the community of NGI researchers and innovators; and ‘A human-centric approach to data governance’. Roberto Viola, Director General DG Connect, EC gave a presentation on ‘The next generation Internet’. Workshops covered online identities, collective intelligence, policy actions and blockchain.
  • The Data economy and the Next Generation Internet at Digital Assembly 2018 (HUB4NGI | report)
  • NGI FORUM 2018 (HUB4NGI and other CSAs | report)
  • NGIForum 2018 – Session3 report (SpeakNGI.eu | report)
  • Welcome speech of Peter Fatelnig at our NGI session @Net Futures 2017 (EC | speech)
  • NGI FORUM 2017 (HUB4NGI | report)
  • NGI workshop in Poznan (HUB4NGI | report)
  • NGI MOVE events – Summary of Wave 1 (NGI MOVE | report)
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