Industry 4.0 digital transformation is led by the automation of manufacturing processes. Industrial applications are quite heterogeneous and pose diverse requirements to the communication system. The transformation towards industry 5.0 has also been initiated recently which emphasizes on the inclusion of humans into the increasingly automated physical processes. At the same time, the 5G cellular technology is evolving to support highly diverse and heterogeneous environments for various applications. The 5G wireless technology promises to provide connectivity for the industrial internet of things scenarios because of its support for deterministic and ultra-reliable low latency communication. However, industrial application requirements can be particularly demanding and must be carefully analyzed. Not only low latency communication is needed but sometimes high device density, high data rates, positioning, and automated service provisioning is desired. In addition, edge computing and artificial intelligence with data-driven system design opens novel dimensions for optimizations of processes. These technological advancements are yet to be tested and deployed to support the vision of industry 5.0.

5GEARING targets 5G technology transfer to the Austrian manufacturing industry. Several aspects including spectrum usage, network deployment, refined network configuration, and methods to satisfy industrial application requirements are considered. Moreover, supporting technologies such as edge computing, machine learning, robotics and automation will be used to achieve the objectives of the project. These aspects target to accelerate the process of digitization and automation in the manufacturing industry. Digitization and automation have several associated benefits including increased productivity, agility and innovation, ease of operations, and energy efficiency.

5GEARING also addresses several economic benefits by developing guidelines on deployment of 5G systems at manufacturing sites, development and operation of industrial application, and dissemination to relevant stakeholders. 5GEARING fosters key enabling communication technologies to bring impetus to digitization and automation resulting in job-creation, development of products and services, and showcasing which is beneficial for all areas including IT, Telecom, manufacturing, academia, and integrators.

The overall 5GEARING objectives are to develop 5G network deployments for industrial applications by addressing issues such as coverage planning, interference avoidance, security, and safety. More precisely:

• Develop guidelines for 5G campus network deployment, configuration, and evaluation for industrial applications involving customers, vendors, service providers, and integrators.
• Engage with the industry to understand and develop solutions for innovative use cases.
• Address 5G network deployment issues including security, safety, and trustworthiness, etc.
• Design clever ways for coverage planning and interference avoidance.
• Deployment of 5G campus network as a showcase for the manufacturing industry considering forward-looking expansion of frequencies in rural areas and support from operators and services providers.

The main objective of each work package (WP) is briefly described below.