Airbus & Ericsson Launch Private 5G to Transform Factories

Working with Ericsson, Airbus has launched its private 5G solution.

It has been initiated at its production site in Hamburg and is expected to be set in motion at another in Toulouse. 

The deployment of its private 5G solutions is a segment in its digitalisation strategy, created to strengthen manufacturing automation, operational efficiency and automation.

While carrying out the strategy, Airbus is required to keep in line with the sector's most strict safety and security standards.

Ericsson's private 5G offering is well known for its reliability, security and high performance.

As a result, Airbus can utilise Ericsson's service at an accelerated rate across its operations. The built-in infrastructure enables quicker implementation timelines compared to traditional setups.

Moving at a faster rate than competitors, Airbus can securely expand connectivity at a rapid pace.

Working together to meet requirements

Airbus provided Ericsson with specific IT-tooling and cyber security requirements.

Taking away the information, Ericsson worked closely with its production team to confirm that integration was suited to Airbus’ needs. 

By combining a modular architecture with API-led interfaces, the solution integrated seamlessly into Airbus’s existing systems, reducing onboarding effort, improving security controls and delivering time-to-value.

Hakim Achouri, 5G expert at Airbus, says: “Our objective is to migrate all our industrial networks towards 5G to ensure unified, ultra-reliable connectivity from the operator’s workstation to the aircraft cabin.

“This deployment accelerates projects involving 3D simulation, augmented reality, improved traceability for parts and predictive maintenance for our assets.

“The standardisation and scalability made possible by this architecture allow us to replicate the solution easily across further sites in Europe and worldwide.” 

Currently, the fully operational private 5G network is live in Hamburg, Germany and in 2026 the Toulouse.

The French facility will go live in 2026.

These locations are just the beginning, with the plan to implement the private 5G network across multiple Airbus’ strategic locations in Europe, including Spain and the UK, with aspirations for projects in the US.

Manish Tiwari, Head of Enterprise 5G, Enterprise Wireless Solutions, Ericsson, says: “Our collaboration with Airbus embodies the alliance between technological innovation and industrial excellence.

“Ericsson is proud to support Airbus’ digitalisation ambitions through Ericsson Private 5G, offering best-in-class, secure connectivity at scale.” 

Led by Ericsson for seamless integration

Airbus’ strategic transformation projects would not be possible with Ericsson’s collaboration as its private 5G is one of the most crucial elements of the projects.

Ericsson enables high-value industrial use cases like the integration of Internet of Things (IoT), real-time quality control, intelligent management of critical equipment and collaborative robotics.

The full-site coverage that private 5G provides allows machines and operators in production to gain full mobility which boosts productivity, process agility and end-to-end industrial control.

These are all elements that will recognise the full potential of industry 4.0.

The collaboration of private 5G between Airbus and Ericsson marks a new era and reinforces the commitment to the future of industrial connectivity from both companies.

Airbus and Ericsson alike will be heavily focussed on advanced 5G Standalone (SA) technology and next generation distribution of models which are positioned to increase 5G use in office environments. 

The private 5G project is not the only one underway, Airbus and Ericsson are collaborating on research and development to improve connections both on the ground and in the air.

Specifically, they are focusing on technologies like connected cabins, 6G and non-terrestrial networks (NTN).

The partnership will speed up the shift to digital systems in the aerospace industry as well as help build smart factories that are connected, flexible and built for innovation, not just in Europe but globally.