Monday 18 May, 2026
The digital transformation of industry is accelerating. As it gains momentum, manufacturers are investing heavily in technologies that promise to connect, automate, and optimise operations. GSMA Intelligence expects the B2B tech services market in manufacturing to grow 12.1% annually and reach $136 billion by 2030. But translating that investment into real-world change remains difficult, and knowing what to deploy, where, and how, remains complex. The objective at September’s Q3 GSMA Connected Manufacturing & Production Forum was to simplify this and bring together leaders from telecom, tech and industry to confront that complexity head-on. Private networks, IT/OT convergence, and industrial AI took centre stage, with experts explaining their progress and where challenges remain.
Where innovation in manufacturing gets real
Thomas Gere, representing Virgin Media O2 Business, provided a clear example of the digital transformation of industry while working with British Sugar. He outlined how private networks are helping industrial players optimise supply chains and accelerate deployments, resolving operational problems at speed.
A different perspective came from Hakim Achouri, Basil Eljuse and Hakim Mehires, who shared insights on the collaboration between Airbus and Google Pixel for Business. By reimagining consumer-grade devices for industrial use, they’ve enabled thousands of factory workers to stay connected without the cost or complexity of custom-built solutions. For manufacturers, the message was clear: transformation doesn’t have to start from scratch.
Baicells Technology added another dimension, with Tony Li showcasing plug-and-play private network deployments across sectors, from warehouses to educational institutions. The simplicity and cost-effectiveness of these solutions underlined an important truth: innovation isn’t always about deploying the newest and most advanced technology, it’s about making it as accessible as possible to the market.
Weaving legacy infrastructure with AI, asset management and advanced connectivity
Successful digital transformation of industry depends on both adding new layers and stitching them into what’s already there. Here, speakers addressed the ongoing challenge of IT/OT integration, a longstanding barrier in industrial environments. Airbus and Google’s collaboration showed how closely aligned IT and operational technology can unlock real industrial benefits. Virgin Media O2’s approach to scalable private networks offered another route to modernising legacy infrastructure without disruption.
As AI continues to define the tech landscape, speakers focused on how to integrate it into industrial use cases. GSMA’s Naresh Chouhan introduced the GSMA AI Community, designed to foster collaboration around AI-driven industrial use cases. IBM’s Priya Kurien and Andrew Foster added commercial weight to the conversation, identifying a $300 billion opportunity for telecoms in the industrial market. Their advice to the sector: speak the enterprise’s language and align with sustainability goals to stay relevant.
Building networks of people – not just systems
The Forum’s unique value is its openness, something ultimately key to the digital transformation of industry. That spirit came through in the roundtable on the soon-to-launch Private Networks Community. Designed to support open dialogue and practical collaboration, the initiative gives members a space to address shared challenges. This kind of mutual learning has become a hallmark of GSMA’s Connected Manufacturing efforts.
As the digital transformation of industry accelerates, events like this are no longer just useful – they’re essential. Automation and connectivity may define the future, but shared insight, trust, and collaboration will continue to shape the path forward. Members are encouraged to stay engaged, share their stories, and shape the future of connected manufacturing together.
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