This document provides a summary of the Technology Task (Task 1) and Platform Task (Task 2) work within the Network Development Work Package (WP6) of the GN5-2 project. It summarises progress in the assessment of emerging network technologies relevant to the research and education community, including quantum technologies, network programmability, fibre sensing, and long-haul White Rabbit time distribution. It also describes the continued development of platforms that support experimentation, service management, automation, and orchestration. These include GP4L, network service orchestration workflows and source-of-truth solutions, and the nmaas platform, together with incubator activities focused on AI-supported log analysis and retrieval-augmented interaction with orchestration systems. The work focuses on combining technology exploration with practical platform development with the aim to provide reusable foundations, operational best practices, and community-facing support for innovation in NREN infrastructures and services.
Naegele-Jackson et al. (2026) studied this question.