UCD has invested €284,000 in the development of a new AI-ORAN Testbed for 6G Network Automation and Cybersecurity Innovation. The project represents Ireland’s first integrated AI-driven 6G experimentation platform combining Open RAN, edge intelligence, digital twins, and advanced cybersecurity research, led by Associate Prof (opens in a new window)Madhusanka Liyanage (pictured right), Director of (opens in a new window)UCD NetsLab based at UCD School of Computer Science.
A national first for AI-driven 6G experimentation
Housed at UCD’s Network Softwarisation and Security Laboratory (NetsLab), the new testbed expands the university’s existing 5G infrastructure into a fully operational 6G-ready environment.
It incorporates a Non-Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), GPU-enabled servers, AI-enhanced radio units, and edge-connected drones, supporting research on secure and autonomous network management, adversarial AI testing, and next-generation immersive applications.
According to Dr Liyanage, the platform “marks a major leap in Ireland’s 6G readiness, creating the country’s first AI-enabled Open RAN security test environment. It enables real-world research on how networks can learn, defend, and optimise themselves in real time.”
Supporting next-generation innovation
The infrastructure will accelerate work in AI-based intrusion detection, digital-twin-driven automation, and zero-trust network design, all of which are central to Europe’s emerging 6G vision.
GPU-powered servers will provide the computational muscle for LLM-based security testing and autonomous compliance validation, while extended Open RAN coverage will connect multiple UCD schools and outdoor research zones.
Aerial and immersive components—including a high-payload UAV and XR headsets for real-time digital twin interaction—will enable experiments in remote healthcare, agricultural sensing, and disaster-response simulation.
Driving collaboration and talent development
The testbed will serve as a shared research and education hub, connecting UCD schools in Computer Science, Engineering, Medicine and Public Health with national and international partners such as Nokia, Ericsson, Telefónica, IBM, and Magos.
Liyanage said: “Hundreds of students and researchers will have access to a next-generation wireless test environment. It’s not only about 6G networks—it’s about training Ireland’s next generation of cybersecurity and AI professionals.”
Enabling a sustainable digital campus
The installation, planned for early 2026, will feature energy-efficient GPU and edge nodes and use open-source standards to ensure long-term sustainability and interoperability.
Access will be managed via UCD’s Bookit/Clustermarket system, allowing both academic and industrial users to book experimentation slots on demand.
Funding for UCD's AI-ORAN testbed was allocated by UCD Research and Innovation from the Higher Education Research Equipment Grant (HEREG).