How are West Midlands companies innovating with 5G?
From CleanTech to MedTech and AdvancedTech to Future Mobility, companies throughout the West Midlands’ world-class ecosystem are innovating with 5G in ways never seen before. Firms previously operating in distinct, separate industries are now close collaborators, with 5G driving unprecedented technological convergence, enabling the trial and scale of disruptive products and services that will transform multiple sectors.
Future Mobility
Combine the UK’s first 5G, multi-city testbed with the country’s first Future Mobility Zone and it’s little wonder the West Midlands is a hotspot for developing Connected Autonomous Vehicle technologies.
Centre for Connected and Autonomous Automotive Research (CCAAR)
CCAAR is a joint initiative between Coventry University and HORIBA MIRA – a global provider of automotive engineering, research and test services. Combining expertise from academic staff, doctoral research students and HORIBA MIRA’s engineering experts, the centre is pioneering intelligent, connected vehicle technology using the West Midlands’ world-class 5G network.
Cutting-edge, 5G-focused projects under development include the creation of a 5G/6G end-to-end network slicing framework for vertical industries. This will be applied to significant use cases in the automotive industry.
However, the innovation doesn’t stop there. The centre is already looking at 6G and the future benefits of visible light communication, a 6G-specific technology set to be faster, more secure and robust to interference – something critically important for fully autonomous vehicles.
5G Connected Trams
The 5G Connected Tram initiative is a collaboration between GoMedia, West Midlands Metro and WM5G. The project developed and tested the rapid transmission of data from trams in real-time using 5G, enabling the Regional Traffic Control Centre to access live, high-definition CCTV footage. Alongside improving passenger safety and incident management, the installation of 5G sensors has enabled engineers to swiftly identify issues and perform effective maintenance, decreasing the time trams are out of operation.
Cleantech
The Green Innovation Challenge Programme, one of many West Midlands R&D facilities, is an acceleration initiative helping start-ups develop, innovate and scale green innovations using 5G technology. Featuring 10 exciting start-up companies, the programme is yet another demonstration of public and private sector organisations in the West Midlands collaborating; the result of a partnership between 5PRING (part of WM5G), Suez and the West Midlands Combined Authority.
Monitoring Remote Windfarms
Osmium, a Birmingham-based start-up, uses the West Midlands’ 5G infrastructure to remotely monitor and support 12 unconnected wind turbines. This has led to real-time visibility of the turbine’s operational status and health, utilising 5G’s speed, low-latency and reliability to achieve this.
Electric Vehicle Rental
Coventry’s Electric Zoo has used the West Midlands multi-city 5G testbed to pioneer an online platform where users can quickly source electric vehicles for short-term rental. The technology’s faster speeds and increased reliability have enabled analysis of journey data, the supply of electric vehicles and charging point use, to help decarbonise the transport network.
Medtech
The West Midlands’ MedTech sector is booming, with the region home to 5,400 medical technologies firms – the largest concentration in the United Kingdom.
As well as it’s world-class 5G infrastructure, UK and International firms invest in the region thanks to collaborative opportunities with globally renowned universities skilled in MedTech and Life Sciences research. This offers an unrivalled environment to innovate and scale transformative products.
Healthcare: Remote Patient Diagnosis
WM5G and Tekihealth – a telemedicine SME – worked together on an innovative healthcare trial in five West Midlands residential care homes to trial Teki-Hub, a cutting-edge 5G connected diagnostics. It allows GPs to undertake comprehensive, remote patient check-ups.
This exciting new service is the first in the United Kingdom to provide contact-free treatment and was made possible by the region’s 5G infrastructure.
Mobile Healthcare: Connected Ambulances
BT, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust and WM5G innovated to deliver the UK’s first demonstration of how 5G is set to revolutionise paramedic healthcare.
Combining 5G with virtual augmented reality, a haptic glove was worn by a medical responder on-site, transmitting data to a remotely located clinician who analysed the data in real time.
The potential for this 5G-enabled technology is phenomenal, reducing hospital visits, improving the speed of diagnosis and enabling paramedics to deliver the right care immediately.
Vodafone Centre for Health with Deloitte
The Vodafone Centre for Health with Deloitte uses the region’s world-class 5G infrastructure to develop game-changing frontline care technologies via Deloitte’s West Midlands-based Health Tech Catalyst.
The initiative, combining Deloitte’s world-leading healthcare expertise and Vodafone’s industry-leading connectivity, gives West Midlands residents access to an intelligent, remote and data-driven healthcare system. Surgeons can now interact with operating rooms across the globe, delivering improved patient care, better training and greater efficiency.
AdvancedTech
5G is converging with advanced, disruptive technologies to unveil unprecedented opportunities. From artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to virtual reality, companies in the West Midlands private sector continuously innovate in collaboration with the region’s nine world-class universities and over 100 R&D facilities.
The UK’s first 5G Standalone Media Innovation Lab
The result of collaboration between Vodafone and Coventry University, the Media Innovation Lab is a game-changing R&D facility where broadcasters, media firms and software developers can develop cutting-edge 5G products and services for the media sector.
Working alongside Vodafone experts and Coventry University academics, West Midlands companies using the lab’s standalone 5G network can benefit from world-class 5G expertise, opportunities to undertake exciting digital transformation and trial end-to-end solutions in a secure, customisable test facility.
Transforming the world of CreaTech
Ambitious CreaTech firms have benefited from several WM5G accelerator events designed to help the creative sector harness the power of 5G. Taran3D, an exciting immersive technology SME, utilised the 5G testbed at the University of Wolverhampton Science Park to optimise their creative processes and expand the breadth of their capability across Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality platforms.
As a result of 5G, the company has been able to create an innovative metaverse collaborative learning environment and mobile-augmented reality solution for museum artifacts, opening exciting opportunities for business growth.
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