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FEATURE


IIOT & SMART MANUFACTURING


55thannivErSary Unleashing indUstry 4.0 with


private 5g connectivity Jan Diekmann, head of business development, manufacturing at


Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions,


explains how private 5G is redefining the relationship


Intelligent automation, AI, and


augmented and virtual reality, are transforming how people work


A


dvanced technologies have turned manufacturing into one of the most innovative and human-centric industries


to build a career in. Intelligent automation, AI, and augmented and virtual reality, are just a few of the components making up today’s digitally connected factory floor and transforming how people work. But despite the industry’s evolution, productivity and the long-term competitiveness of manufacturing businesses remains short of expectations owing to an ongoing talent shortage. Although 42% of the country’s 49,000


manufacturing vacancies are classed as skill-shortage roles, the challenge facing manufacturers is not simply attracting more workers. In fact, the industry offers a compelling proposition to potential workers. Although manufacturing is associated with AI job displacement, digital technologies are enabling employees to make faster decisions, collaborate more effectively, and take greater control over complex environments. Private 5G is integral to what is known as


‘Industry 4.0’. Its high-bandwidth connectivity supports workers, machines and applications to operate more reliably and safely across production environments, improving efficiencies in the process. But the future competitiveness of UK manufacturing also hinges on creating more of these opportunities for innovation and skill development in order to appeal to a new generation of digitally skilled talent.


creating a safer, more responsive environment Connected technologies are reducing operational friction, improving access to expertise, and enabling employees at every level to contribute more confidently and effectively. At Ericsson’s smart manufacturing facility in


Estonia, AR-guided workflows are used to overlay step-by-step visual instructions directly onto physical equipment. This approach reduces


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time spent navigating manuals and can cut troubleshooting time by up to 50%, allowing employees to perform complex tasks with greater accuracy and confidence. There’s also greater demand for making


informed operational decisions in real time to improve productivity but also give people greater ownership over outcomes. Connected sensors and digital dashboards provide workers with immediate visibility into production performance, so they can see how their actions influence quality, efficiency and machine health, helping create more collaborative working environments. Safety measures are also being improved.


Connected systems can monitor environmental conditions such as air quality, temperature and noise levels, while wearable devices track worker wellbeing and ergonomic risk. These insights have enabled companies, like Audi, to test robotic systems that can automatically halt when a worker enters a designated zone.


greater employee control Traditional wired infrastructure and fragmented wireless networks have limitations that disrupt workflows and slow decision-making. As factory floors become more digitally advanced, however, workers are empowered by staying connected to information, expertise and operational systems. Private 5G is changing this dynamic by


creating highly reliable and secure connectivity across complex industrial environments. For workers, this means being able to move seamlessly and maintain uninterrupted access to the tools and insights needed to make informed decisions in real time. These technologies don’t remove humans from


manufacturing environments, but place them more firmly in control. By removing connectivity barriers, manufacturers can create more flexible workplaces where employees can respond to and solve problems faster, and work more safely alongside advanced automated systems.


4 DESiGn SOLUtiOnS 1971-2026 JULY/AUGUST 2026


between people and technology in the


manufacturing sector


Working seamlessly With industrial ai As Industry 4.0 accelerates, the role of workers will increasingly shift from operating isolated systems to supervising intelligent, connected environments. In next-generation factories, industrial AI together with LLMs or SLMs will directly provide guidance to workers, who will be empowered to make faster strategic decisions, adapt processes dynamically, and collaborate across locations using live operational data. However, these systems are only as good as


the data that feeds it. The information from IoT devices, machines and workers themselves needs to be easily shared and processed by reliable connectivity infrastructure. Training and skills development are essential to


influencing how humans and machines work together and shifting how manufacturing careers are perceived. Virtual reality simulations allow workers to practise complex procedures in controlled environments, accelerating learning while reducing future risk. At the same time, high-resolution video and augmented reality tools enable on-site teams to collaborate with remote specialists in real time.


Building Better foundations for man and machine Underpinning real-time insights, more seamless collaboration and safer ways of working, private 5G creates environments where human expertise is amplified and not replaced by intelligent technologies. And, as modernisation efforts continue, investment in advanced connectivity will allow manufacturers not only to improve productivity and resilience, but to attract and retain the next generation of industrial talent.


Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions www.ericsson.com/en/


www.designsolutionsmag.co.uk


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