Nokia, UTS successfully operate world’s first 5G connected digital microbrewery

Finnish telecom equipment maker Nokia and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) on Sunday announced the successful operation of the world's first private wireless and 5G connected digital microbrewery.

"UTS's Industry 4.0 facility is an exciting environment for developing and testing new 5G use cases. In the digital microbrewery, we showcase how 5G private wireless networks and cloud-based technologies help optimize the brewing process and move ever closer to achieving the perfect pint," said Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia.

Part of UTS's Industry 4.0 research site, the new Industry 4.0 Nano-Brewery enables thirsty researchers to perfect the art of brewing in the twenty-first century using digital automation. The facility utilizes a cloud-based digital twin of an actual brewery to optimize the brewing process, Nokia said in a media release on Sunday.

The 5G-connected microbrewery utilizes Nokia's 5G backhaul connectivity, Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) solution, and digital twin technology to optimize the brewing process.

Located at the UTS Tech Lab, the Nano-Brewery forms part of an international production network, with an identical physical twin set up in TU Dortmund University in Germany.

Nokia's FastMile 5G Gateways connected to a campus-wide Nokia Digital Automation Cloud 5G Standalone private wireless network provide the 5G connectivity. The 5G private wireless network is delivered using multiple Nokia AirScale Indoor Radio (ASiR) small cells positioned throughout the UTS Tech Lab campus.

Commenting on this development, Professor Jochen Deuse, Director of Centre for Advanced Manufacturing at UTS, said, "Our goal is to promote Industry 4.0 principles to local industry by offering a testbed that gives partners the keys to improve their own manufacturing processes and gain business intelligence. Our international collaboration with TU Dortmund and Nokia allows us to globalize the outcomes of our testbed."