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EVOLVED-5G · Project

5G App Store and Certification Platform for Smart Factory Operations

manufacturingPilotedTRL 7
evolved-5g.eu

Imagine your phone's app store, but instead of games and social media, it's full of ready-made 5G applications specifically designed for factories. EVOLVED-5G built exactly that — a marketplace where manufacturers can browse, test, and deploy certified 5G-powered tools for things like machine control, security monitoring, and production line automation. A consortium of 26 partners across 11 countries developed and tested these industrial 5G apps on a shared experimentation platform, so factories don't have to build everything from scratch.

By the numbers
26
consortium partners across the project
11
countries represented in the consortium
20
industry partners in the consortium
13
SMEs participating in development and testing
77%
industry ratio in the consortium
4
industrial NetApp pillars developed (employee-machine, FoF operations, security, production lines)
30
total project deliverables produced
6
demo deliverables with final prototypes
The business problem

What needed solving

Factories investing in 5G connectivity face a chicken-and-egg problem: the network is powerful but there are few ready-made industrial applications to run on it. Building custom 5G-enabled software for machine control, security, and production management is expensive, slow, and risky — especially for SMEs without deep telecom expertise. Manufacturers need an app-store-like ecosystem where they can find, test, and deploy certified 5G applications without starting from zero.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered a NetApp marketplace with certification tools, plus validated 5G applications across 4 industrial pillars: employee-machine interactions, Factory of the Future operations, security and risk analysis, and production line infrastructure. All 6 demo deliverables reached final prototype stage on a vendor-agnostic experimentation platform.

Audience

Who needs this

Manufacturing companies deploying private 5G networks on factory floorsTelecom operators selling industrial 5G solutions to enterprise clientsIndustrial software developers building 5G-native factory applicationsCybersecurity firms specializing in connected manufacturing environmentsSystem integrators helping factories with digital transformation
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Automotive Manufacturing
mid-size
Target: Mid-size automotive parts manufacturers running connected production lines

If you are an automotive manufacturer dealing with the complexity of deploying 5G-connected machines on your shop floor — this project developed a marketplace of certified NetApps covering 4 industrial pillars (employee-machine interaction, factory operations, security, and production line infrastructure) tested across 26 partner organizations in 11 countries. Instead of building custom 5G solutions, you pick certified apps off the shelf.

Industrial Cybersecurity
SME
Target: Companies providing security solutions for connected factories

If you are an industrial cybersecurity provider struggling to guarantee security across 5G-connected factory environments — this project built dedicated NetApps for security guarantees and risk analysis, validated on a vendor-agnostic experimentation platform. With 13 SMEs in the consortium, the tools were designed for practical deployment, not just lab conditions.

Telecommunications
enterprise
Target: Telecom operators offering private 5G networks for industrial clients

If you are a telecom operator selling private 5G to factories but lacking ready-made industrial applications to demonstrate value — this project created a NetApp certification toolkit and marketplace with apps across 4 industrial use-case pillars. The platform was coordinated by Telefonica and designed to be vendor-agnostic, meaning your network infrastructure doesn't lock out compatible apps.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt these 5G industrial applications?

The project data does not include specific pricing or licensing fees for the NetApp marketplace or certification tools. As an EU-funded Innovation Action, the platform and tools were developed with public funding. Contact the coordinator for current commercialization terms and access options.

Can these solutions scale to a full production environment?

The project developed final prototypes across 4 industrial pillars (employee-machine interaction, factory operations, security, production lines) and built certification tools to validate them. The vendor-agnostic experimentation platform was designed to test scalability, though full commercial-scale deployment data is not available in the project records.

Who owns the intellectual property and how is it licensed?

With 26 consortium partners including 20 industry organizations and 13 SMEs, IP ownership is distributed according to the consortium agreement. Telefonica Innovacion Digital coordinated the project. Specific licensing terms for individual NetApps and the marketplace platform should be discussed directly with the relevant partners.

Is this compatible with our existing factory network infrastructure?

The experimentation platform was explicitly designed to be vendor-agnostic, meaning it does not require a specific 5G equipment vendor. The project implemented standards-based interfaces including CAPIF and SEAL protocols, plus Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) support for real-time industrial operations.

How mature is this technology — is it ready for deployment?

As an Innovation Action (IA), the project targeted near-market technology. All 6 demo deliverables describe final prototype implementations, and the NetApp certification tools and marketplace reached their final development stage. Based on available project data, this sits between validated prototype and early deployment readiness.

What regulatory standards does this address?

The project aligns with 5G-PPP (5G Public-Private Partnership) standards for vertical industries and implements CAPIF (Common API Framework) and SEAL (Service Enabler Architecture Layer) specifications. These are 3GPP-defined standards for network application development, providing a compliance baseline for regulated industries.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a heavily industry-driven consortium: 20 out of 26 partners (77%) come from industry, with 13 of them being SMEs. That mix signals the project was built for practical deployment, not academic publication. Coordinated by Telefonica Innovacion Digital — one of Europe's largest telecom operators — the project had direct access to real 5G infrastructure for testing. The 11-country spread across Europe (including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK) gives the results broad market relevance. Only 2 universities and 2 research organizations were involved, reinforcing the applied nature of the work. For a business considering adoption, this consortium composition means the tools were shaped by companies that actually need to sell and operate 5G industrial solutions.

How to reach the team

Telefonica Innovacion Digital SL (Spain) coordinated this project. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the right technical contact within the consortium.

Order a report on this consortiumSee TELEFONICA INNOVACION DIGITAL SL profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how these 5G industrial applications could fit your factory digitalization plans? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the EVOLVED-5G team and help assess which NetApp pillar matches your operational needs.

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