Scaling Private 5G Adoption across the Industrial Strategy Sectors

Join Digital Catapult for an in-person focus group examining the key challenges and enablers for the widespread adoption of standalone private 5G in the UK. The session will bring together industry leaders, vendors, systems integrators, enterprise buyers and connectivity suppliers to validate current research findings, share practical experience and identify interventions that could accelerate adoption across priority sectors.

Your contribution to this session will help an evidence-based understanding of the barriers affecting private 5G adoption, including total cost of ownership, skills, integration, cybersecurity, spectrum and governance. Insights from the discussion will inform future recommendations, programme design and ecosystem support.

Participants will take part in a facilitated discussion, structured around the adoption journey from feasibility assessment through to operational scaling and ecosystem integration. The session will include barrier mapping, root-cause discussion, intervention design and a closing prioritisation exercise.

This session is intended for organisations with experience evaluating, deploying, supplying or integrating private 5G and related industrial connectivity solutions, particularly across manufacturing, energy, transport and logistics and wider industrial strategy sectors.

Participants will have the opportunity to:

• • Explore common opportunities, barriers and approaches with sector stakeholders. 
  • Share real-world experiences and lessons learned from private 5G adoption.
  • Network with industry peers and exchange perspectives.
  • Contribute to shaping future market interventions and support mechanisms.
  • Gain insight into the emerging adoption challenges facing standalone private 5G in the UK.

10:00 – Registration

10:30 – Welcome and introductions
Dritan Kaleshi, Director of Technology – Future Networks and Digital Infrastructure, Digital Catapult

An introduction to the workshop, including the objectives for the day, the current context for standalone private 5G adoption in the UK, and what participants can expect from the discussions ahead.

10:40 – Private 5G: Current State in the UK & Q&A
Kostas Katsaros, Head of Future Networks & 5G, Digital Catapult
Stephen Patrick, CEO, CableFree: Wireless Excellence

Presenting the current standalone private 5G in the UK landscape and setting the scene for the workshop discussions, with an emphasis on trending issues such as the total cost of ownership (TCO) as an important factor in the adoption process, providing valuable ROI.

11:30 – Roundtables: Barriers to adoption

With a dedicated spokesperson to share feedback, participants will identify barriers, root causes and solutions to address Private 5G adoption:

1. Barrier Identification and Root Cause Analysis (55 Mins)

Identify barriers experienced via each topic, based on our research:

• TCO
• Equipment Availability
• Skills
• Cyber Security
• Benefit Understanding
• Spectrum
• Governance

2. Overcoming these Barriers and Industry initiatives (55 Mins)

What solutions/recommendations can be defined, and how is industry already addressing Private 5G?

13:20 – Wrap up and Next Steps
Timothy Merritt, Innovation Manager, Digital Catapult

Summary of findings, gaps and potential actions, and what will be done with that feedback (e.g. integrated into a report).

13:30 – Networking Lunch

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