5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation (5G-ACIA)

What 5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation (5G-ACIA) does

5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation (5G-ACIA) is a non-profit global industry alliance and a Working Party of ZVEI e.V. (Electro and Digital Industry Association), headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The organization serves as the central forum for shaping 5G technology for the industrial domain, bringing together operational technology (OT) companies (Siemens, Bosch, ABB, Schneider Electric, Rockwell Automation, Festo, Trumpf) and information and communication technology (ICT) companies (Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei, Qualcomm), mobile network operators (Verizon, NTT Docomo, Orange, China Mobile), research institutions (Fraunhofer IPT, DFKI, ITRI, Aalborg University), and standards bodies to jointly define requirements and influence 3GPP and ITU-R standardization for industrial 5G.

Its core deliverables include a portfolio of over 25 white papers covering Non-Public Networks (NPN), URLLC, TSN integration, OPC UA, edge computing, RedCap, ISAC, digital twins, and business value/ROI methodology; an Industrial 5G User Guide; an Industrial 5G Device Overview Database; endorsed testbeds for validating 5G capabilities in realistic scenarios (mmWave, TSN, PROFINET/PROFIsafe, robotics, positioning); the Demo Wall 3.0 device showcase; five working groups covering use cases, ecosystem and regulation, system architecture, liaisons and marketing, and industrial 5G in practice; and a global events program including Industrial 5G Days, plenary meetings, and presence at Hannover Messe and SPS trade fairs. The alliance holds MoUs with 20+ partner organizations across Europe, North America, and APAC, including 3GPP, GSMA, NGMN, GSA, MFA, OPC Foundation, 6G-IA, and one6G.

5G-ACIA does not sell commercial products or generate commercial revenue. It is funded through membership fees and ZVEI e.V.'s institutional resources, operating as a pre-competitive platform for industry collaboration. Governance is anchored by a Board led by the General Chair (Siemens) and General Vice Chair (Ericsson), with representatives from Nokia, Huawei, ABB, Moxa, NTT Docomo, Phoenix Contact, Rockwell Automation, Trumpf, Belden, Verizon, Mitsubishi Electric, AILINK, and Fraunhofer IPT. The organization employs approximately 22 staff (including a small office team) and is expanding its scope toward 6G evolution and private 5G network consolidation through new 2026 partnerships.

Name

5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation (5G-ACIA)

Legal name

5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation, a Working Party of ZVEI e.V.

Website

https://5g-acia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

5G-ACIA is a global, non-profit industry alliance (a Working Party of ZVEI e.V.) that serves as the central forum for shaping 5G standards, deployment frameworks, and testbed validation for industrial automation, serving OT companies, ICT vendors, mobile operators, and research institutions worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial 5G Standardization Alliance

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Computer Communications Equipment (3576)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial/OT Private Connectivity (Factory, Mining, Ports) (HDAIAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Edge-Integrated Private Connectivity (MEC + Private 5G/Wi‑Fi) (HDAIAGAE), Industrial Connectivity & Networks (5G/LPWAN/TSN/Industrial Ethernet) (IMAIAMAH)

Keywords

• Industrial 5G standardization
• Private 5G networks
• Industrial wireless connectivity
• 5G for automation
• Non-public network deployment

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt am Main

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership contributions: 5G-ACIA is a working party of ZVEI e.V. and does not independently generate revenue. The organization is funded through membership fees and ZVEI's institutional resources. Its mission is to influence 5G standardization and promote industrial 5G adoption rather than to generate commercial revenue.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

5G-ACIA is a global non-profit industry alliance that brings together operational technology (OT) and information and communication technology (ICT) companies to shape 5G standardization, regulation, and deployment for industrial applications. The alliance delivers its mission through white papers, endorsed testbeds, showcases, an Industrial 5G User Guide, a device overview database, working groups, demo walls, and global events such as plenary meetings and Industrial 5G Days.

Product overview

5G-ACIA is a global alliance organization (a Working Party of ZVEI e.V.) that serves as the central forum for shaping 5G in the industrial domain. Rather than a single product, the organization offers a portfolio of services including: White Papers providing technical publications on industrial 5G topics; Testbeds for validating 5G capabilities in realistic industrial scenarios; Showcases demonstrating industrial 5G applications; Demo Wall 3.0 displaying industrial 5G ecosystem devices; an Industrial 5G Device Overview database; an Industrial 5G User Guide; Working Groups for collaborative standardization work; Events and Conferences including plenary meetings and trade fair participation; and Webinar Series for education. These services collectively support OT (operational technology) and ICT (information and communication technology) industries in deploying industrial 5G for factory automation, process automation, logistics, monitoring, predictive maintenance, and human-machine interfaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 5G-ACIA White Papers Technical publications providing deep-dive analysis of industrial 5G technological aspects for OT and ICT stakeholders. White papers cover topics including business value calculation, RedCap devices, machine vision, Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), deterministic networking, OPC UA integration, Non-Public Networks (NPNs), 5G sidelink, industrial device architecture, edge computing, QoS for industrial automation, IIoT capabilities, service-level specifications, 6G evolution, digital twins, TSN integration, security aspects, and performance testing.
• 5G-ACIA Endorsed Testbeds Endorsed testbeds for evaluating and validating key 5G capabilities for industrial applications in realistic scenarios. Includes testbeds for mmWave applications, zero-touch production, TSN communication, international interoperability, PROFINET/PROFIsafe communication, material handling, positioning, ambient IoT, and industrial robotics, operated by member organizations including Fraunhofer IPT/Ericsson, Bosch/Ericsson, ABB/Ericsson, Huawei, and others.
• 5G-ACIA Showcases Industrial 5G demonstrations for various industry scenarios including human machine collaboration and logistics. Showcases include demonstrations by Verizon, Bosch/Nokia/Rohde&Schwarz, Fraunhofer IPT/Ericsson, Phoenix Contact, Siemens, Qualcomm, HMS/Ericsson, IDLab, AI-Link, Druid, NXP/HMS, Ericsson/Sick/KION/CCI, Fraunhofer IIS, and Huawei.
• 5G-ACIA Demo Wall 3.0 Interactive display of the latest Industrial 5G Ecosystem featuring market-available devices including routers, dongles, modules, and demonstration of applications. Showcases Industrial 5G Routers, FieldrouterFRRO505x, 5G devices, fieldbus communication over 5G, safety over 5G, Industrial 5G Radio Access Networks, and Industrial 5G Core Networks.
• Industrial 5G Device Overview Database Comprehensive database of 5G-enabled devices for industrial applications including industrial routers, outdoor units, sensors, ruggedized smartphones, and USB dongles. Provides filtering by device type, brand, SIM format, MIMO support, 5G-SA support, 5G NR bands, TSN support, RedCap support, and certifications.
• Industrial 5G User Guide Comprehensive guide providing consolidated information on different 5G topics in an easy-to-understand format for end users of industrial 5G solutions. Covers NPN deployment options, 5G architecture basics, use cases, frequency ranges, spectrum availability, national regulations, network operation topics, service provider operation, availability of technology, industrial Ethernet integration, wireless technology comparisons, security aspects, coexistence between networks, and network slicing.
• Working Groups Program Five specialized working groups addressing: (1) Use Cases and Requirements, (2) Ecosystem and Regulatory Framework, (3) System Architecture and Integration Aspects, (4) Liaisons and Marketing, and (5) Industrial 5G in Practice. Provides structured framework for industry collaboration on standardization and deployment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Productivity improvements up to +10% demonstrated through ROI evaluation methodology applied to AGV intralogistics use case
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core, regional and supporting.

• one6G AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 July 2026one6G and 5G-ACIA are jointly organizing webinars on 6G use cases for industrial automation and strengthening cooperation for the future of industrial wireless communications.
• one6G AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026one6G and 5G-ACIA signed an MoU to strengthen the partnership for the future of industrial wireless communications, including joint webinars on 6G use cases for industrial automation.
• Alliance for Private NetworkscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026Alliance for Private Networks and 5G-ACIA signed a Letter of Intent to consolidate industrial 5G initiatives, aiming to advance Industrial IoT and accelerate global private 5G adoption.
• 6G-IA (6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 20265G-ACIA and 6G-IA signed an MoU to strengthen cooperation on industrial connectivity, aligning current 5G activities with future 6G developments for connected industries.
• TAICS (Taiwan Association of Information and Communication Standards)regionalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 December 2023TAICS and 5G-ACIA signed an MoU on advanced collaborative efforts in Industrial 5G standardization and market deployment, formalizing cooperation between Taiwan and the European industrial 5G ecosystem.
• MFA (MFA - The private networks association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2023MFA and 5G-ACIA signed an MoU to foster cooperation and synergies and advance global 5G private wireless networks, driving adoption of 5G private networks in manufacturing.
• GSA (Global Mobile Suppliers Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 December 2022GSA and 5G-ACIA cooperate to support the advancement of 5G public and private mobile networks, combining GSA's market intelligence with 5G-ACIA's industrial expertise.
• CTIA CertificationsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 24 May 2022CTIA Certification and 5G-ACIA signed a cooperation agreement to explore industrial 5G certification needs, supporting the development of certification standards for industrial 5G IoT devices.
• GCF (Global Certification Forum)supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 11 April 2022GCF and 5G-ACIA signed a cooperation agreement to explore industrial 5G certification needs, supporting the development of appropriate certification frameworks for industrial 5G devices and networks.
• GSMA (GSM Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 January 2022GSMA and 5G-ACIA signed an MoU to foster cooperation and synergies on Industrial 5G, enabling deeper insight into industrial manufacturing needs and striving toward end-to-end Industrial 5G deployment.
• COAI and 5GIFregionalGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 October 2021Joint web seminar organized with COAI (India) and 5GIF on next steps to accelerated digital-empowered industrial automation, extending 5G-ACIA's reach to the Indian market.
• AII (Alliance for Internet of Things Innovation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2021AII and 5G-ACIA signed an MoU to foster close cooperation and drive the global Intelligent Manufacturing ecosystem using 5G. Jointly announced new testbeds to accelerate Industrial 5G deployment.
• VDMA WCM (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau, Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2021VDMA WCM and 5G-ACIA issued a joint statement on cooperation on Industrial 5G, with both devoted to enabling a diverse, competitive, and secure 5G ecosystem for industry.
• 5G-ACIA Endorsed Testbeds (multiple)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 April 20215G-ACIA endorses testbeds operated by member organizations including Fraunhofer IPT/Ericsson (5G Industry Campus Europe), Bosch/Ericsson (5G-SMART), ABB/Ericsson (Industrial Robotics), Huawei (OpenLab Munich), and others for evaluation and validation of industrial 5G use cases.
• OPC FoundationcoreTechnology or Integration · 12 April 2021OPC Foundation and 5G-ACIA signed an MoU to foster cooperation and synergies on OPC UA integration with 5G, serving Industry 4.0 markets with reliable and flexible communication by combining OPC UA's information modeling with 5G's connectivity.
• GTI (Global TD-LTE Initiative)regionalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 March 2021GTI and 5G-ACIA signed an MoU to promote the integration of 5G and vertical industries and make Industrial 5G a reality.
• 5GMF (Fifth Generation Mobile Communications Promotion Forum, Japan)regionalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 November 20205GMF and 5G-ACIA signed an MoU to accelerate smart manufacturing through collaboration on 5G for industrial applications, leveraging 5GMF's regional presence in Japan.
• 5G Infrastructure Association (5G-IA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 20205G-ACIA and 5G-IA signed an MoU in October 2020 to foster synergies on mobile radio communication enabled Industrial IoT. Both parties collaborate to advance the integration of 5G with vertical industries.
• ZVEI e.V. (Electro and Digital Industry Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZVEI e.V. is the legal entity for 5G-ACIA, hosting the 5G-ACIA Office and providing platform infrastructure. ZVEI represents multiple high-tech companies and acts as a pacemaker for progress in research, technology, and standardization. 5G-ACIA was established within the scope of the ZVEI 5G Taskforce in 2016.
• 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project)coreTechnology or Integration3GPP is the primary standards development organization for 5G. 5G-ACIA contributes industrial requirements to 3GPP SA1 and other groups, ensuring that the specific needs of industrial use cases are addressed in 5G specifications.
• 6G ForumregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational 6G forum collaborating with 5G-ACIA on the evolution from 5G toward 6G for industrial applications.
• 6GSNSIA (6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean 6G initiative collaborating with 5G-ACIA on the transition from 5G to 6G for connected industries and automation.
• NGMN (Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGMN Alliance collaborates with 5G-ACIA on mobile network requirements and deployment guidance for industrial 5G applications.
• IIC (Industrial Internet Consortium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIC and 5G-ACIA collaborate on industrial internet and 5G connectivity frameworks, combining IIC's reference architectures with 5G-ACIA's cellular communication expertise.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GSA (Global Mobile Suppliers Association): Industry association representing mobile network equipment vendors and chipset makers. GSA and 5G-ACIA cooperate on 5G public and private mobile networks, making GSA a complementary vendor-side peer with significant member overlap (Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei).
• NGMN Alliance (Next Generation Mobile Networks): Operator-led alliance defining requirements for next-generation mobile networks. NGMN collaborates with 5G-ACIA on mobile network requirements for industrial 5G, making it a complementary peer addressing the operator-requirements side while 5G-ACIA covers the OT-requirements side.
• GSMA: Global mobile operator industry association with broader telecom mandate. 5G-ACIA signed an MoU with GSMA in 2022 to align industrial manufacturing needs with broader 5G deployment; GSMA is a complementary (not competing) industry-association peer representing the operator side of the 5G ecosystem.

Emerging players

• OPC Foundation: Industry consortium behind OPC UA, the dominant industrial information-modeling standard that 5G-ACIA's OPC UA over 5G workstream explicitly integrates with. 5G-ACIA and OPC Foundation signed a Core MoU in 2021, making OPC Foundation a technology-stack peer rather than a competitor.
• 6G-IA (6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association): European 6G initiative representing the operator and vendor ecosystem for next-generation networks. 5G-ACIA and 6G-IA signed an MoU in February 2026 to align 5G-ACIA's industrial agenda with European 6G R&D, making 6G-IA a strategic 6G-pipeline peer.
• one6G Association: European-led industry initiative driving 6G research and adoption. 5G-ACIA and one6G signed an MoU in 2026 and jointly organize webinars on 6G industrial automation use cases, making one6G the closest direct peer for 5G-ACIA's emerging 6G evolution workstream.

Direct peers

• 5G Infrastructure Association (5G-IA): European 5G PPP organization representing the telecom industry's 5G research and deployment agenda. 5G-ACIA and 5G-IA signed an MoU in October 2020 to coordinate on mobile-radio-enabled Industrial IoT, making them direct counterpart alliances operating on adjacent sides of the same OT-ICT divide.
• MFA (The private networks association): Industry association focused specifically on private cellular networks, which directly overlaps with 5G-ACIA's Non-Public Network agenda. 5G-ACIA and MFA signed an MoU in January 2023 to jointly advance global private wireless, making them the closest direct peer in mission and membership.
• IIC (Industrial Internet Consortium): Industrial Internet Consortium drives reference architectures for the industrial internet, with overlapping membership and complementary mandates to 5G-ACIA. Both organizations collaborate on industrial 5G frameworks, and IIC's IIRA architecture serves adjacent standardization functions for industrial connectivity.

Regional players

• onGo Alliance: US-based alliance promoting shared and private wireless networks using CBRS spectrum for enterprise and industrial applications. onGo Alliance and 5G-ACIA are global partner organizations with overlapping industrial-private-network mandates and complementary spectrum approaches (CBRS vs. dedicated 5G NPN).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQiluGDjxb6UzXB7RB5nTcg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/5g-acia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles27 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about 5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation (5G-ACIA)