Open Call: Next Generation Internet (NGI) Sargasso Project

The project has been organized to support all Internet innovators in the areas of trust and Internet data sovereignty, trusted open search and discovery, and Internet Architecture and Decentralized Technologies. With NGI Sargasso, an international ecosystem will be created with the presence of the USA and Canada in order to promote the values of Europe beyond its borders, such as openness, inclusion, transparency, privacy, cooperation, and data protection. The mission is to catalyse transatlantic collaboration on the development and experimentation of new ideas, implementation of prototypes, and contribution to standards and open-source communities on technology trends with the potential to reshape tomorrow’s Next Generation Internet technologies and services.

Objectives

• NGI Sargasso aims to revolutionise the Next Generation Internet technologies, services, and standards, and contribute to the evolution of the Internet according to a human-centric approach of the internet commons. For the development of NGI Sargasso, it is crucial that the proposals presented start from close collaboration with entities from the USA and/or Canada. Through 5 open calls, NGI Sargasso aims to attract more than 300 applications (accumulated from the five open calls) and support up to 96 research initiatives.

NGI Sargasso Knowledge Areas

• NGI Sargasso focuses on specific areas of knowledge critical to developing a more humancentric and sustainable internet. They believe that the internet should reflect the values and needs of individuals and communities, and that it should be equitable, accessible, and secure for everyone.
• To achieve this vision, NGI Sargasso prioritizes the following areas of knowledge:
  • Trust: it is focused on improving trust in the online world, by making the internet more secure and protecting users’ privacy.
  • Data sovereignty: NGI is working towards giving users control over their personal data and ensuring that it is stored and processed in a secure manner.
  • Digital identity: to create a digital identity framework that is trustworthy, secure, and interoperable, to make it easier for people to interact with the internet.
  • Internet architecture and renovation: to renovate the existing internet architecture to make it more efficient, secure, and scalable, while also preserving existing investments and assets.
  • Decentralised technologies: the use of decentralised technologies such as blockchain, to improve the security and privacy of the internet.
  • Interoperability & Standardization: the NGI initiative aims to promote interoperability and standardisation, enabling seamless communication and data exchange across platforms and devices. This supports innovation, competition, and user empowerment in the digital economy.
  • New Internet Commons: the creation of a new Internet Commons, a shared digital space where everyone can participate in the creation and exchange of digital content and services.

NGI Sargasso Challenges

• NGI Sargasso has identified a set of challenges for this final cut-off date. There are 9 concrete challenges and an open one. Proposals should be directed towards one or more of those (including the open challenge for NGI).
  • Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Across Continents 
    • Addressing environmental issues in digital networks, systems and infrastructure has emerged as a priority in both Europe, Canada and the USA, as increased complexity in systems may require additional resources. Sustainable maintenance, repair, and life-cycle management of digital technologies is included in this challenge.
    • Knowledge Areas: Internet Architecture and Renovation, Energy Efficiency
  • Harmonized Cross-Atlantic Digital Governance 
    • The need for a unified techno/legal framework for digital services across the Atlantic is gaining attention in both the EU, Canada, and the USA. This includes the development of efficient networks, interconnections, and consistent regulation of data and cloud services to facilitate cross-border data exchanges and services.
    • Knowledge Areas: Internet Architecture and Renovation, Trust, Data Sovereignty
  • Inclusive Public Digital Spaces for Global Community Engagement 
    • Inclusive and accessible public digital spaces are becoming a priority in Europe, the USA, and Canada. The challenge is to facilitate meaningful community engagement via these public platforms and ensure that all individuals, regardless of their language or abilities, have access.
    • Knowledge Areas: Digital Identity, Trust, New Internet Commons
  • Enhanced Data Security and Privacy in Transcontinental Perspective 
    • The improvement of data security measures and stronger protections for personal data are a shared concern in Europe and North America. A focus is on respecting individual’s data sovereignty and privacy.
    • Knowledge Areas: Trust, Data Sovereignty, Digital Identity
  • Interoperability and Standardisation Across Borders 
    • Seamless interaction between systems and devices is essential for interconnected digital environments. Europe, the US, and Canada have a joint interest in establishing widely accepted technological standards and protocols.
    • Knowledge Areas: Interoperability & Standardisation
  • Next-Gen Cybersecurity and Generative AI 
    • Cybersecurity stands as a cornerstone of the Next Generation Internet (NGI). However, cyber threats are continuously evolving and becoming increasingly sophisticated. The recent advancements in Generative AI capabilities offer new threats and new opportunities in the area of cybersecurity. This challenge delves into the intersection of advanced cybersecurity and Generative Artificial Intelligence to tackle this ever-shifting landscape.
    • Knowledge Areas: Trust, Decentralized Technology, Internet Architecture and Renovation, New Internet Common
  • Next Generation Space Based Internet 
    • This challenge addresses issues regarding the integration of space-based networks to terrestrial networks such as: techniques to provide reliable high data rate internet connectivity to areas without or with minimal supporting terrestrial infrastructure; optimized transport protocols for satellite communications; integration of satellite communications and 5G/6G mobile technologies in a truly hybrid satellite/5G/6G network.
    • Knowledge Area: Internet architecture and renovation, Interoperability & Standardization
  • Redefining intelligence in a hyperconnected world 
    • In their hyperconnected world, where billions are online and data sensors abound, they must seize the opportunity presented by AI advancements to reshape how they confront modern challenges like sustainable cities and climate change. It’s time for them to demonstrate that the synergy between human users, data sensors, and AI agents is the solution to today’s societal challenges, all while safeguarding human rights.
    • Knowledge Area: Trust, New Internet Commons, Internet Architecture and Renovation, Decentralised Technologies
  • Internet Archiving 
    • Today’s internet is an ever changing, constantly modified environment. Unlike physical media, it is very easy for information to get deleted and lost, seemingly forever. Being able to find information on or from websites that no longer exist or the history of changes to a site or page is very valuable. Such archiving could also be used as a safeguard against massive loss of data, for instance after a cyber-attack or an accidental issue. Setting standards, promoting efforts towards this goal and as well as defining best practices to ensure personal data protection and right to be forgotten in such archiving effort is a challenge for NGI.
    • Knowledge Area: Trust, New Internet Commons, Internet Architecture and Renovation, Decentralised Technologies, Interoperability & Standardisation
  • Open Challenge 
    • Open for any project that addresses an emerging issue related to the specified areas of knowledge. This challenge encourages innovative solutions in the fields of Trust, Data Sovereignty, Digital Identity, Internet Architecture and Renovation, Decentralised Technologies, Interoperability & Standardisation, and New Internet Commons across Europe, USA, and Canada.
    • Knowledge Area: Trust, Data Sovereignty, Digital Identity, Internet Architecture and Renovation, Decentralised Technologies, Interoperability & Standardisation, New Internet Commons

Funding Information

• The total budget available for this final open call is €1.200.000. Apart from the grant amount, NGI Sargasso also provides mentoring, coaching, and networking opportunities to help applicants achieve their project goals through the OnCampus Programme.
• The grant is disbursed over the course of the NGI Sargasso project, following a “flat rate” approach. This means that the funding is distributed gradually, subject to meeting specific outcomes and milestones, rather than administrative justifications of time and/or expenses.
• The programme offers three types of grants based on the project’s duration:
  • 3-month experiment: up to €50.000.
  • 6-month experiment: up to €75.000.
  • 9-month experiment: up to €100.000.
• The maximum amount of funding that can be granted to a single small organization (SMEs, Startups, NGOs and foundations, based on the SME Definition criteria from EC) for all NGI Sargasso calls combined cannot exceed €150.000. For large RTOs, research centres and Universities (not included in the SME Definition criteria from EC), the maximum amount of funding is up to €500.000 between all NGI Sargasso open calls. This is because several research groups from the same large organisation may wish to apply to one or more calls.
• For this fifth open call of the NGI Sargasso, the number of projects to be funded will be the number necessary to spend the entire available budget. Initially the budget available is €1,200,000, but it may increase slightly after the selection of the projects from Open Call 4. In case of an increase in the budget, this will be announced on the website and on the Sploro platform through an email to all those who have an open application at that time.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible beneficiaries
  • The European eligible entities by NGI Sargasso open call should be legally identified under the following categories of organisations:
    • Universities, RTOs, and research centres: academic and research institutions with a focus on developing novel knowledge areas and technologies aligned with the focus of NGI Sargasso.
      • It’s important to note that within a department, multiple research groups exist, and while different groups from the same department can apply, it’s crucial that individuals are not concurrently members of multiple research groups to ensure equitable allocation of resources and dedication to their respective research endeavours.
    • NGOs and foundations: non-profit organizations and foundations that work under the NGI areas of knowledge and technologies.
    • SMEs and startups: small and medium-sized enterprises and startups that focus on developing innovative solutions related to NGI Sargasso’s areas of focus.
  • Natural persons, mid-caps or large industries or corporations are not eligible for the purpose of the call.
• Single applications with an USA and/or Canadian collaborator
  • Applications are done in consortium. The consortium may be set up by two or three entities: one entity from the eligible countries for funding entity with a USA and/or Canadian collaborator. European consortia are not eligible, the applicant must be a single entity. In either case, the applicant must be from an eligible country.
    • Two-entity consortium: must be formed by one European entity (applicant) and one entity from the USA or one entity from Canada.
    • Three-entity consortium: must be formed by one European entity (applicant), one USA and one Canadian entity. In no case will consortia whose counterparts are both from the USA or both from Canada be accepted. The NGI Sargasso project advocates for a three-party consortium approach to promote collaborative innovation and diverse expertise in full transatlantic collaboration.

Language

• English is the only official language for the NGI Sargasso project.

For more information, visit NGI Sargasso.