Industrial Automation branch INA
of Fraunhofer IOSB
Industrial Automation branch INA
of Fraunhofer IOSB

5G Learning Locations OWL

5G learning sites for the education of the future

Project timeframe: 01.05.2022 – 30.04.2024

Funded by: Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia represented by Project Management Jülich

Aim of the project: The aim is to explore the advantages and limitations of 5G technology for the training of industrial-technical and commercial professions, such as toolmakers and industrial clerks. 

Concrete learning scenarios for learning through and for 5G are being developed and tested in four vocational colleges: the Carl-Miele-Berufskolleg and the Reinhard-Mohn-Berufskolleg in Gütersloh as well as the Richard-von-Weizsäcker-Berufskolleg and the Ludwig-Erhard-Berufskolleg in Paderborn. To this end, learning factories are being set up where industrial-technical and commercial trainees can learn together.

In addition, the learning sites in the vocational colleges are to be networked with the SmartFactoryOWL in Lemgo, a joint facility of Fraunhofer IOSB-INA and TH OWL, and the companies' training workshops. In addition, the learning factories will be used to qualify teachers, skilled workers, and semi-skilled and unskilled workers. With the Fraunhofer 5G Application Center and its own 5G campus network, SmartFactoryOWL has been expanding its corresponding research and testing infrastructures since 2021.

Project partner: OstWestfalenLippe GmbH, Universität Paderborn, Fraunhofer IOSB-INA, Kreis Gütersloh, Kreis Paderborn, Nachwuchsstiftung Maschinenbau, pro Wirtschaft GT, Wertkreis Gütersloh, Beckhoff, Weidmüller, ELHA Maschinenbau, Raumtänzer, 

5G Application Center

Learn more about the 5G Application Center such as equipment and application scenarios.

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Communication systems

Learn more about other communication standards such as Low-Power Wide Area Networking (LPWAN), Profinet, Time Sensitive Networking (TSN), OPC-UA and our capabilities.

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IoT technologies and application development

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News from the research area 5G

  • Fraunhofer research results tested for the first time in ENERCON wind turbine

    Lemgo / April 27, 2023

    (Lemgo / Aurich) One of Germany's largest manufacturers of wind turbines, ENERCON, has joined forces with Fraunhofer IOSB-INA in Lemgo to develop a groundbreaking innovation for wind turbine (WTG) control: The new ultra-high-speed communication system has now been successfully implemented and tested at the end of 2022 at the Staphorst wind farm in the Netherlands in a model type E-138 EP3 wind turbine with a rotor diameter of 138 meters and a rated power of 4.26 MW. The new technology improves the control of so-called feed-in converters. With the increasing number of regenerative energy sources, powerful feed-in converters play a central role. Thus, the new Fraunhofer technology is an important building block for a robust energy grid of the future. The system makes it possible to control the active and reactive power feed-in of wind turbines into the energy grid in real time and more precisely than ever before, enabling potential for greater efficiency.

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  • 5G field test in the 5G4Automation project successful

    Lemgo / February 28, 2023

    (Lemgo / Rheda-Wiedenbrück) Based on a mobile 5G campus network, the Fraunhofer Institute from Lemgo and Wireless Consulting GmbH successfully carried out the planning and commissioning of a 5G campus network at Venjakob Maschinenbau GmbH & Co KG.

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