At MWC Barcelona 2026, the GSMA Foundry demos brought together leading partners to showcase how advanced connectivity, AI, and edge technologies are transforming real-world environments, from hospitals and factories to digital services and fraud prevention.
This wasn’t about concepts. It was about what is already working at scale.
Healthcare, reimagined through 5G and AI
The healthcare showcase, delivered by National University Health System (NUHS) in collaboration with Ericsson, Singtel, IMDA, and Synapxe, demonstrated how 5G and AI are reshaping care delivery.
The experience combined:
- AI-assisted diagnostics
- AR-guided procedures using HoloLens
- A robot nurse companion supporting care delivery
- Hospital-at-home capabilities
The direction is clear. Healthcare is shifting towards connected, distributed models where care is continuous and accessible beyond traditional hospital settings.
This builds on a new strategic partnership between GSMA Foundry and NUHS, designed to accelerate global deployment of 5G, AI and connected health technologies, from remote surgery to intelligent hospital systems.
We captured video interviews with National University Health System and Ericsson, exploring how 5G, AI and XR are moving from pilot environments into real-world healthcare deployments.
Manufacturing, redesigned for real-time performance
Manufacturing was a major focus at the Pavilion, with two complementary demonstrations showing how the industry is evolving.
Verizon and Nokia showcased how private 5G and edge AI enable flexible, responsive production:
- Real-time coordination between robots, systems, and workers
- AI-driven visual inspection
- Production systems that adapt instantly to demand
In our video interview with Verizon and Nokia, the partners explain how private 5G, edge computing and AI are enabling flexible, real-time manufacturing at scale.
Capgemini demonstrated how edge computing, AI, and robotics are driving the next phase of industrial transformation.
Through their Pavilion showcase and expert insights from Valerio Di Giovanni and Romain Gilbert-Collet, Capgemini highlighted how manufacturers can:
- Combine edge processing with cloud orchestration
- Use AI-driven analytics for real-time decision-making
- Scale digital solutions across entire factory environments
The focus has shifted. It is no longer about isolated pilots, but about scaling intelligent systems across operations.
As Romain Gilbert-Collet put it:
“Smart manufacturing is about leveraging digital technology to reach the next generation of industrial performance.”
Capgemini experts share how edge-to-cloud intelligence, AI and robotics are helping manufacturers scale beyond pilots and achieve real-time industrial performance.
AI agents powering secure digital services
Infobip showcased how AI agents can transform digital services through real-time collaboration and automation.
The interactive demo enabled participants to:
- Build a team of AI agents
- Verify identities and prevent fraud
- Deliver personalised customer experiences
All orchestrated through messaging channels such as RCS.
In our video interview with Infobip explores how AI agents and network APIs are powering the next generation of secure, intelligent digital services
A consistent theme: convergence
Across all demos, a clear pattern emerged. The convergence of:
- AI and connectivity
- Edge and cloud
- Physical and digital systems
These technologies are no longer evolving in isolation. They are being deployed together to solve real problems.
From showcase to real-world impact
What stood out this year was the level of maturity. These were not early-stage concepts. They were:
- Proven solutions
- Live deployments
- Scalable use cases
The focus is now firmly on delivering measurable impact across industries.
Interested in Demoing at the GSMA Pavilion in 2027?
The GSMA Foundry is already welcoming expressions of interest from organisations looking to showcase innovative demos at the GSMA Pavilion during MWC Barcelona 2027.
If you’re working on leading-edge applications of 5G-Advanced and Beyond, IoT, Smart Cities & Smart Manufacturing, Fintech & Mobile Money, Smart Mobility, Security and Post-Quantum Technologies, Identity, Trust & Privacy, Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) and Satellite Connectivity, and AI, we’d love to hear from you.
To learn more about our work and its impact, or to make an enquiry about how you get involved in what comes next, please visit our website here or email us on foundry@gsma.com.