Ibec’s Medtech & Engineering Division partnered with Ibec’s Telecommunications Industry Ireland to run an event on 21 June 2022 entitled, “5G – Enabling Smart Manufacturing”.

The purpose of the event was to explore further the role of 5G in enabling smart manufacturing or industry 4.0 focusing on private 5G networks. The event examined the benefits and the challenges for manufacturers in adopting 5G, what financial supports are available and provide insights with current examples. A live 5G link to a manufacturing plant was provided.

Meet the speakers

Dr. Peter Marshall - Strategic Marketing Director and 5G ambassador, Ericsson

Ericssons Peter Marshall will take us on a journey explaining what 5G is and why it can be so relevant to Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing, with videos of 5G use cases already in use in factories and industry today. Ericsson will also live link to an innovation hub in Germany where 5G is used to innovate Smart Manufacturing.

Peter is responsible for proactively identify how Ericsson can best meet the customer requirements to support their demands on the networks with Ericsson’s extensive portfolio of leading-edge technology, products and solutions and drive stronger engagement through targeted communications, events and supporting material.

Being at the forefront of the 5G innovation, Ericsson has been working with partners for several years on 5G in labs to develop real use cases to create the right technology for real-world applications. In the last two years, Ericsson has taken these technologies into advanced field trials and recently installed an end to end 5G system at King’s College London.

James Hand - 5G Solutions Programme Delivery Lead

James will discuss a selection of BT’s 5G Solution projects, including Belfast Harbour. In his talk James will describe what’s working, the challenges associated with such deployments and the resulting benefits to BT’s customers.

James is BT’s Programme Delivery Lead for 5G solutions. James is part of the BT team established to scale up and commercialise the development of unique customer solutions incorporating components such as 5G Private Networks, IoT, and Edge Computing. James is an hands on and energetic Programme lead with over 17 years in the telecoms industry leading and delivering large scale technology and transformation programmes for the public and private sector. James has an inherent love of all things technical and loves to engage and work with stakeholders at all levels within client organisations helping deliver real business change. A good example is the high profile programme delivery of the UK and Ireland’s first 5G Private Network in the Belfast Harbour, providing the platform to drive business benefits and change through innovative ‘use cases’.

James will discuss a selection of BT’s 5G Solution projects, including Belfast Harbour and the MTC. In his talk James will describe what’s working, the challenges associated with such deployments and the resulting benefits to BT’s customers.

Sharon Higgins - Director Membership Services & Sectors, Ibec

Sharon will give an overview of the Ibec’s Manufacturing in Ireland campaign, the challenges facing the sector and why now is the time to embrace digital and explore innovative ways to be competitive.

Director of Membership & Sectors. With Ibec since 1996, holding senior positions including Head of Sectors and Director, Irish Medical Devices Association; and Assistant Director, Pharmachemical Ireland. MSc and BSc in Industrial Chemistry (UL) and Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors. Oversees the work of 38 trade associations, with responsibility for business development, marketing, membership engagement and corporate events. Winner Outstanding Contribution to the MedTech Sector Award, 2014.

Karl McDermott - Head of IOT and 3Connected Solutions

Karl and Deirdre Ní Mhuirí will give a presentation on a real life example of a 5G deployment in Glanbia’s cheese plant in Ballyragget Co. Kilkenny, designed to demonstrate the disruptive potential of 5G for industrial applications.

Over 20 years’ experience working in the IT and telecommunications sector in Ireland, Germany and France. Karl currently leads the ICT and IOT teams for Three developing innovative technology solutions to address business challenges.

After qualifying with an MSc in Engineering Karl began his career in data networking working as a systems engineer for Cisco. During that time he led the technical design on a wide range of diverse solutions including the Irish Revenue Commissioners Contact Centre, HEAnet countrywide WAN and the Dell European Datacentre. Karl then assumed responsibility for managing the Systems Engineering team and subsequently the partner channel in Ireland.

Since joining Three in 2009 Karl played a major role in the company’s transition from a mobile company to a total communications provider. Utilising his technical and market knowledge to build the ICT portfolio of networking, collaboration, security and mobility solutions from a standing start to where it is today. A number of years ago Karl also took responsibility for Three’s IOT business bringing them to a market leading position in 2020.

Deirdre Ní Mhuirí - Network & Technical Security Architect, Glanbia Business Services

With nearly 20 years’ experience in network engineering and the telecoms industry, Deirdre has been heavily involved in the design and delivery of many global projects such as the Hibernia Express transatlantic submarine cable system (now EXA Express) and homegrown projects such as the SIRO FTTP rollout to towns and cities across Ireland.

Now holding a position with Glanbia Business Services as Network & Technical Security Architect, she heads up a global team of engineers within the global nutrition company. She is currently leading a major network and security transformation within the organisation. Smart manufacturing, the Digital Workplace and Employee Experience are the key business drivers for that network transformation.

Deirdre is also a key stakeholder in Glanbia Ireland’s Horizon 5G project, a joint initiative between the European Commission and European ICT industry to prove new and innovative use-cases in 5G technology, in particular in Smart Manufacturing.

Padraig Doolan - Technical Advisor, Research, Development & Innovation (RD&I) Fund at Enterprise Ireland

Padraig will explain how Enterprise Ireland’s Business Innovation (BI) supports companies to invest in the implementation of new or significantly improved production methods, service delivery or organisational methods in order to increase their competitiveness on global markets.

Padraig is a former Research Fellow and has co-authored over 45 peer-reviewed publications & filed 5 patents in biotechnology. In 2012, Padraig launched an ICT startup company, eventually successfully licensing the technology 5 years later. Padraig has since won two Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Awards in biotech and in his current role is seeking to engage SMEs with the RD&I Fund.

Tony Lavender - Partner, Plum Consulting

Tony will provide an overview of the mobile spectrum situation in Ireland and how industry can potentially enable these networks, together with examples of measures that have been put in place in the UK and elsewhere in the world.

Tony is managing partner at Plum Consulting. He has provided advice to policy makers, regulators, and private sector clients through a wide range of studies on communications policy, regulation and radio spectrum. Recent studies include use of 26 GHz spectrum for 5G public and private networks, the development and deployment of a major private 5G network in Asia, security matters for the 5G ecosystem, the role of spectrum sharing for supporting public and private networks, spectrum to support smart grid utility networks and more general advice on supply and demand for telecommunications infrastructure. In addition to his consulting work Tony chairs an expert group in the UK Spectrum Policy Forum on Spectrum Value and Efficiency and he was a member of the UK Government’s expert panel, established as part of the UK Spectrum Strategy, on “Incorporating Social Value into Spectrum Allocation Decisions”.

David Gibson - Head of Sales, Siemens Digital Industries Ireland

David will give a presentation explaining Siemens' story of utilising private 5G networks.

23 years of experience promoting and providing manufacturing and process automation and digital transformation insight to the manufacturing and industry within Ireland.

Torlach Denihan - Director, Telecomms & Internet Federation

Telecommunications Industry Ireland, led by Torlach Denihan, represents and supports a broad and diverse mix of members from Irish telecommunications sector. The team keeps members informed on policy through in-house briefings, provides industry updates, research and regularly runs member networking forums and industry led training for the sector.

Adrienne McDonnell - Senior Executive, Irish Medtech Association

Adrienne is a Senior Executive with the Irish Medtech Association, the Ibec sector that represents the medical technology industry in Ireland. Adrienne has been with Ibec since 2000 and spent the first four years of her time there working in the Finance Department, implementing a new procurement policy across the organisation. She also represents the Irish Medtech Association on MedTech Europe’s, Market Access, and Compliance Committees. Adrienne also represents Ibec’s Engineering Network on Orgalim’s Industrial Policy and Digitalisation Working Group.

Dr Emer Sherry - Senior Executive, Ibec

Senior Executive, with Ibec since 2008, holding senior positions in Telecommunications Industry Ireland and Audiovisual Ireland. B.E and PhD in Electronic Engineering from University College Dublin. Oversees the regulatory affairs and public policy work streams with a key focus on addressing barriers to rollout of telecommunications infrastructure in Ireland. Represents industry on the Government’s Task Force on Mobile Phone and Broadband and leads 5G work stream within Ibec.