## 3 Methodology
### Development of NextGEM Innovation and Knowledge Hub  
The implementation of NextGEM Innovation and Knowledge Hub (NIKH) is a practical realization and integration of scientific components. It will monitor, store, share and access EMF exposure and biological data to ensure compliance with safety standards, minimize exposure levels in set environments and contexts, and increase citizens' awareness on EMF information and research [40]. To enable the validation and exploitation, a benchmarked proof-of-concept reference platform will be developed. The development of NIKH includes four different stages: (i) designing the platform to store the innovations and research outputs produced within NextGEM, (ii) including external scientific knowledge from previous research or through synergies with projects funded under other clusters and pillars of Horizon Europe, or other EU programs, (iii) offering a link to RF-EMF stakeholders, and (iv) enabling security, trustworthiness, and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance (Figure 4).  
**Platform design for collecting research outputs:** The NIKH will coordinate the processes for translating analytics and experimentation model descriptions to deployed jobs over the end-to-end system from data management and analytics components all the way to end-user applications and services. NIKH aims to offer template services, embodying NextGEM's logic for diverse research scenarios, managing execution planning (explicit and automatically decided), and handling interactions between NextGEM components while configuring their seamless integration.  
**Collection and storing of data within NextGEM and from other projects, activities, and studies**: NextGEM will provide a vast amount of research outputs. The NextGEM workflow includes setting up the RF-EMF data platform, integrating existing data from available public and reviewed sources, and integrating new EMF-relevant data generated within the project. Thus, the stored data will be accessible from the NextGEM dashboard as soon as the primary obligations related to scientific publishing, etc., are fulfilled. NextGEM will furthermore make the data collection accessible and expandable for users after project end, which needs a long-term commitment regarding database management.  
**Connection with the RF-EMF Stakeholders:** In the multimodal environment, NIKH will provide a fully configurable NextGEM dashboard for public authorities, the scientific community, and various citizen and societal groups. A graphical web-based front-end dashboard will be developed to facilitate the visualization of data from RF-EMF measurements, analytical models, bio-experiment results, and risk assessment together with practical guidelines, tools, and applications, thus supporting public authorities and regulators with scientific evidence to implement exposure directives and improve their RA, management and communication.  
**Security, trustworthiness and GDPR compliance:** To assure NextGEM operation from a cybersecurity perspective, as well as to provide evidence for its GDPR compliance, the SANL Security Assurance Platform (SAP) will be employed [41]. Following a model-driven approach, the SAP will be tailored to the NIKH. The real-time operational compliance of the platform to security, privacy, and GDPR requirements will be provided in an evidence-based manner through the integration of the SAP, which will enable hybrid assessments based on vulnerability analysis, penetration testing, and continuous monitoring of the NextGEM assets. This establishment and operation of continuous security and privacy assurance checks for the NIKH and its security and privacy control mechanisms will ensure the security and privacy posture of it.  
Figure 4: NextGEM innovation and knowledge hub (NIKH).