The Industrial 5G Accelerator will produce a series of real-life test cases, proving 5G’s potential, and making the case for rapid adoption. 5G is sad to be vital to optimising industrial processes and increasing efficiency, and has the potential to contribute up to £15.7 billion per year to the UK economy by 2025.
The Digital Catapult has a number of centres, with its 5G activities centred in Brighton. Digital Catapult’s first 5G testbed was launched in Brighton in 2018. The first testbed in the UK open for commercial use, it allows small businesses access to state of the art 5G technology, providing space to test and explore the potential new applications of 5G. An existing and associated Accelerator Programme builds on this, supporting small businesses at early and scale-up stages, with the Industrial 5G Accelerator a further step.
The Industrial 5G Accelerator is looking for companies providing industrial equipment into manufacturing, logistics, heavy industry and the relevant supply chains, as well as large industrial players, to take part. Participants will benefit from the assets and expertise of Ericsson and Digital Catapult to set a road map for enabling 5G. This commitment, it is said, will increase the effectiveness of their products and services, with the ambition to co-develop demonstrations of capabilities ready for industry.
Jeremy Silver, CEO, Digital Catapult, said of this latest initiative: “The potential for 5G to boost UK productivity and increase efficiency is hugely exciting. 5G is a significant investment for any company, so to be able to showcase its value in a real-life environment, through tangible and relevant examples, is absolutely vital to developing a concrete business case. We're excited to work with Ericsson, pairing our deep technical knowledge and agile approach to innovation with their world renowned technical and business excellence, helping to provide the ammunition business leaders need to accelerate adoption of 5G across the country.”
Marielle Lindgren, CEO, Ericsson UK & Ireland, added: “Technologies like IoT, robotics and AI are transforming UK businesses, but the lack of consistent, high quality connectivity is preventing them from realising Industry 4.0’s full potential. With its super-fast data rates, ultra-low latency and vastly increased network capacity, 5G provides the solution to this challenge. Ericsson is a world leader in communications technology, and today in the UK, we are collaborating with mobile network operators, businesses and agencies such as Digital Catapult to ensure Industry 4.0 is capable of delivering on its promise.”