In 2019  the alliance expanded and accelerated its activities in this region and worldwide.

On 14 and 15 March 2019, 5G-ACIA joined forces with the 5G Forum Korea to hold a workshop in Seoul, Korea, to raise awareness of 5G-ACIA. It was also an opportunity to invite relevant local organisations from information and communication technology (ICT) and operational technology (OT) to join the alliance.

The event attracted over 120 attendees. The first day consisted of a comprehensive survey of 5G-ACIA, with insights into its structure, mission, programme and achievements to date. The second day was shared between the 5G Forum (in particular its smart manufacturing taskforce) and 5G-ACIA (with representatives from Europe, USA, China, Japan and Korea). There was a focus on the latest public- and private-sector manufacturing initiatives and trials in China, Japan and Korea.
“Korea is an important powerhouse for 5G in the industrial domain”, says Dr. Andreas Müller (Bosch), Chairman of 5G-ACIA. “The country has a strong footprint in manufacturing, esp. in areas such as shipbuilding, car-making and the chemical industry. At the same time, it is among the pioneers in the adoption of 5G technology, with commercial operation likely to start in April this year. Therefore, we look forward to welcome more members from Korea and the region in 5G-ACIA soon!”

“30 per cent of Korea’s GDP is generated by manufacturing and the country is in many ways a laboratory for innovative technologies in this space”, adds Afif Osseiran (Ericsson), Vice-Chairman of 5G-ACIA. “The new era of wireless communication has huge potential for ICT players, and 16 per cent of the sector’s revenue is expected to be from 5G-enabled manufacturing.”

Going forward, 5G-ACIA intends to strengthen collaboration with the 5G Forum, in particular with the recently formed smart manufacturing taskforce, and to increase its presence and membership in Asia. 5G-ACIA was established in April 2018 as a global initiative to make sure that 5G in the industrial domain becomes a success. It provides a unique forum for all relevant stakeholders in order to jointly work on related technical, regulatory and business aspects.