The IN project aims to support the Italian automation industry by pursuing interdisciplinary theoretical and applied research for communication networks in industrial environments, with both a medium and long-term vision. This will be achieved by exploring both legacy and new technologies supporting the stringent requirements characterizing industrial use-cases and that sometimes cannot be fulfilled by 5G but need to follow the 6G standardization.
IN is part of Spoke 5 – Industrial and Digital Transition Networks
Project PI: Roberto Verdone
The IN project has identified the five reference Industrial Use Cases (UCs) that set the general research framework of all activities and has defined the internal procedure to possibly introduce other UCs in the future.
These 5 UCs refer to current and future industrial applications like motion controllers, process monitoring, mobile control panels, mobile robots and plant asset management and arise from detailed discussions with the Italian Manufacturing Industry, as well as analysis of standard documentation.
Moreover, within the project, an initial group of 23 research activities have been defined with clear goals. They aim to produce scientific results, in the form of publications, patents, and demonstrators to validate the telecommunication role in industrial environments.
Five deliverables have been released so far, two of which are dedicated to the definition and characterization (requirements, key enabling technologies, etc.) of the UCs, whereas the other two include a first set of theoretical results coming from the 23 activities and the last one is the first deliverable summarizing the dissemination activities of the project (social network posts, meetings, conference speeches, etc.).
However, the project has also provided an important contribution to the expected facilities of the Spoke 5 laboratory that will be built, to support the development of industry-relevant and 6G-oriented proof-of-concepts.
The project is starting the definition phase of a first Proof-of-Concepts that will be realized in synergy with the MOSS project and will be held at Villa Griffone.
The IN project enhances industrial communication networks for Industry 4.0 and 6G. Five key Industrial Use Cases (motion controllers, process monitoring, mobile control panels, mobile robots, and plant asset management) guide 32 interdisciplinary research activities targeting publications, patents, and demonstrators.
The project has completed 20 deliverables on UCs, theoretical advancements, dissemination, and the integration of TAP-IN, the Cascade Call project of IN. Progress includes defining Proof-of-Concepts (PoCs) for AI-driven localization, high-frequency radio links, energy-efficient solutions, and data analysis. Collaboration with TAP-IN has broadened research, while Spoke 5’s facilities for 6G-oriented PoCs are under development, reinforcing IN’s role in industrial automation and communication.
These 5 UCs refer to current and future industrial applications like motion controllers, process monitoring, mobile control panels, mobile robots and plant asset management and arise from detailed discussions with the Italian Manufacturing Industry, as well as analysis of standard documentation.
Moreover, within the project, an initial group of 23 research activities have been defined with clear goals. They aim to produce scientific results, in the form of publications, patents, and demonstrators to validate the telecommunication role in industrial environments.
Five deliverables have been released so far, two of which are dedicated to the definition and characterization (requirements, key enabling technologies, etc.) of the UCs, whereas the other two include a first set of theoretical results coming from the 23 activities and the last one is the first deliverable summarizing the dissemination activities of the project (social network posts, meetings, conference speeches, etc.).
However, the project has also provided an important contribution to the expected facilities of the Spoke 5 laboratory that will be built, to support the development of industry-relevant and 6G-oriented proof-of-concepts.
The project is starting the definition phase of a first Proof-of-Concepts that will be realized in synergy with the MOSS project and will be held at Villa Griffone.
The IN project enhances industrial communication networks for Industry 4.0 and 6G. Five key Industrial Use Cases (motion controllers, process monitoring, mobile control panels, mobile robots, and plant asset management) guide 32 interdisciplinary research activities targeting publications, patents, and demonstrators.
The project has completed 20 deliverables on UCs, theoretical advancements, dissemination, and the integration of TAP-IN, the Cascade Call project of IN. Progress includes defining Proof-of-Concepts (PoCs) for AI-driven localization, high-frequency radio links, energy-efficient solutions, and data analysis. Collaboration with TAP-IN has broadened research, while Spoke 5’s facilities for 6G-oriented PoCs are under development, reinforcing IN’s role in industrial automation and communication.
The IN project has achieved significant advancements in innovation.
Key contributions include:
- Secure-by-Design Architectures: Leveraging federated learning frameworks, the project enhances data security by limiting raw data transmission, focusing instead on AI model updates. This ensures secure and efficient communication in industrial networks.
- Industry-Driven Use Cases and PoCs: Five critical industrial use cases—motion controllers, process monitoring, mobile control panels, mobile robots, and plant asset management—shape the research activities. These efforts have led to the development of Proof-of-Concepts (PoCs) showcasing AI-driven localization, high-frequency links, and energy-efficient networks.
- Network Digital Twins (NDT): The project explores integrating NDTs into telecom infrastructure for enhanced operational efficiency and predictive maintenance. Advanced synchronization techniques, real-time modeling, and visualization frameworks are being developed, along with testbeds that combine NDTs with O-RAN architectures.
- 6G-Oriented Laboratory Development: IN has guided the acquisition of cutting-edge equipment, including UAVs, signal generators, and VNAs, to establish a robust testing environment at the Spoke 5 laboratory, ensuring compatibility with emerging 6G technologies.
- End-to-End Industrial Network Analysis: Comprehensive evaluations of industrial network performance include RTT measurements across devices, 5G networks, and AI inference models, ensuring reliability for safety-critical applications.
- THz Communications and Physical Layer Security: The project investigates THz band communications, focusing on overcoming phase noise and incorporating Intelligent Reflective Surfaces (IRS) to optimize industrial wireless networks.
- Full-Stack Simulations: A full-stack end-to-end simulator assesses the performance of mobile radio networks in industrial contexts, integrating channel, traffic, and mobility models. The tool, if successful, may be proposed as an open-source platform for the Italian research community.
- Importance-Aware Federated Learning: Novel scheduling algorithms prioritize user equipment based on the significance of transmitted AI models, optimizing convergence time and accuracy.
- Energy-Efficient Industrial Networks: The project has demonstrated advanced energy-saving techniques using TSCH and SWIPT for industrial IoT devices, prolonging battery life and reducing costs.
- THz Band Breakthroughs: Research on THz communications has yielded innovative waveforms and security mechanisms tailored for industrial environments.
- Multi-Technology Localization: Development of hybrid localization systems combining UWB, 5G, and optical wireless technologies ensures high accuracy in complex industrial scenarios.
The project is extremely active in including industrial partners in its activity. In particular, the following actions were taken:
- Cascade Call Integration (TAP-IN): The TAP-IN initiative has significantly expanded the project's industrial network by including multiple industrial partners such as NIVA, EBW, AC2, WEWIT, and academic centers like UFE, UTN and UPR. This collaboration strengthens both the theoretical framework and experimental aspects of the project. An additional industrial partner will join TAP-IN through a dedicated agreement to enhance the development and testing of Proofs of Concept (PoCs), ensuring their industrial relevance.
- Active Role of Industries: Industrial partners play a crucial role in the IN project. TIM, Fibercop, NIVA, EBWorld, AC2, and WEWIT contribute their expertise across various domains, from developing plant management solutions and early warning systems to supporting network performance analysis and standardization efforts. Their involvement ensures the project remains grounded in real-world challenges and delivers impactful outcomes for the automation and telecommunications sectors.
- Collaborative Webinars and Events: The project actively engages industrial stakeholders by organizing webinars and events featuring key industry players, such as BIREX, Robopac-Aetna, and Huawei. These sessions promote collaboration and ensure alignment with cutting-edge challenges in automation, connectivity, and digital twin integration.
Program partners:
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
- Alma Mater Studiorum - Università degli Studi di Bologna
- Università degli Studi di Catania
- Università degli Studi di Firenze
- Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza"
- Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Telecomunicazioni (CNIT)
- TIM S.p.A.
- Fibercop
The IN project aims to support the Italian automation industry through interdisciplinary theoretical and applied research in communication networks for Industry 4.0. This involves exploring legacy and new technologies to meet industrial use-case requirements, sometimes beyond 5G to 6G standardization. Demonstrators will illustrate 6G benefits for industry workflows and applications. Currently, primary industrial use cases have been outlined, driving research with 44 publications generated. Discussions with Italian Industry Consortia show interest in results. Dissemination efforts include international conference presentations, informative videos, and webinars. Future plans involve expanding activities and showcasing fourth industrial revolution potentials through ideas, algorithms, processes, and prototypes.
Publications
Other project KPIs: Editing journal special issues
- Expected: 36
- Accomplished: 76
- Readiness level: 317 %
- Expected: 18
- Accomplished: 8
- Readiness level: 67%
- Expected: 6
- Accomplished: 6
- Readiness level = 150 %
- Expected: 6
- Accomplished: 1
- Readiness level = 25 % (as expected)
- Expected: 12
- Accomplished: 17
- Readiness level = 213 %
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 1
- Readiness level = 150 %
- Expected: 0
- Accomplished: 6
- Readiness level: 100 %
- Expected: 0
- Accomplished: 1
- Readiness level: 100 %
Other project KPIs: Editing journal special issues
- Expected: 3
- Accomplished: 1
- Readiness level = 50 %
- Expected: 3
- Accomplished: 2
- Readiness level = 100 %
- School Expected: 2
- Accomplished: 0
- Readiness level = 0 %
- Expected: 15
- Accomplished: 0
- Readiness level = 0 %
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 0
- Readiness level = 0 %
- Expected: 15
- Accomplished: 1
- Readiness level = 10 %
- Expected: 15
- Accomplished: 7
- Readiness level = 70 %
- Expected: 0
- Accomplished: 1
- Readiness level = 100 %
IN_M1.1: Identification of use-cases and requirements
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 1
- Readiness level = 100%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 1
- Readiness level = 100%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 1
- Readiness level = 100%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 1
- Readiness level = 100%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 1
- Readiness level = 100%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 0
- Readiness level = 0%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 0
- Readiness level = 0%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 0
- Readiness level = 0%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 0
- Readiness level = 0%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 0
- Readiness level = 0%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 1
- Readiness level = 100%)
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 1
- Readiness level = 100%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 1
- Readiness level = 100%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 1
- Readiness level = 100%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 1
- Readiness level = 100%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 1
- Readiness level = 100%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 1
- Readiness level = 100%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 1
- Readiness level = 100%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 0
- Readiness level = 0%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 0
- Readiness level = 0%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 0
- Readiness level = 0%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 0
- Readiness level = 0%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 0
- Readiness level = 0%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 0
- Readiness level = 0%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 0
- Readiness level = 0%
- Expected: 1
- Accomplished: 0
- Readiness level = 0%
Collaboration proposals:
The IN project covers a broad set of topics in the field of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and a non-exhaustive list is given below:
- Mobile Radio Network Architectures and Optimizations
- Apply Artificial Intelligence for Wireless Communications
- Network planning
- Data analysis
- Implementation of Wireless Power Transfer techniques
- Design of Radio-over-Fiber solutions
- Development of Proof of Concepts
Therefore, we continuously seek collaborators, such as industry stakeholders, PMIs, and consortia who can share their needs, expertise and vision to further elaborate the telecommunication role for the Italian Manufacturing sector. Moreover, we envisage synergies with other telecommunication actors, such as network operators, manufacturers, universities, and R&D centers, to integrate their competencies into our works or define innovative theoretical or applied research trends. Within the RESTART program, our project is finding synergies with SUPER, SERICS and 6G-WINET projects.
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