Starting with a bang! Our first workshop focused on the transformative power of 5G and immersive technologies for local tourism and creative industries took place on Friday 21^st of June.

There are 2,000 SMEs in the Creative Sector in the North East, a sector which has grown 68% from 2011 to 2022, brings £1 billion to the local economy annually and provides jobs to 46,000 people. So, how can 5G and immersive technologies drive innovation within the creative and tourism sectors?  

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Workshop Highlights

The morning began with a presentation on the 5G Immersive Lab Project, its regional context, and the high-speed 5G 'Test Bed'. Future sectoral workshops for Advanced Manufacturing, Retail, Construction, Tourism, and Agriculture were announced, along with our upcoming Open Calls.

Insights from Vodafone

We were pleased to be joined by Philip Sandford, Vodafone's Innovation Manager, who showcased Vodafone’s 5G journey, exploring case studies in the creative industries. In the past, network slicing has been used for live event coverage at Wimbledon and Glastonbury Festival by utilising an end-to-end network slice on 5G Standalone (SA). This allows a guaranteed percentage of the network can be dynamically allocated for a specific period, enabling smooth and uninterrupted transmission.

Insights from MAADigital  

Colin Kelly, Managing Director of MAAD Ltd, demonstrated letsARgo, an AR/VR tourism app. This platform creates augmented reality location-based content for the tourism sector, bringing the world to life through immersive trails. See an example here.

Immersive Experiences

Attendees experienced tech demonstrations showcasing various VR, AR, and MR experiences on the latest headsets, including the Microsoft HoloLens 2, Meta Quest 3, and Apple Vision Pro. This allowed the individuals to trial immersive tech for themselves to gain a better understanding of the capabilities.

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Collaborative Design Thinking

In the second half of the workshop, attendees grouped together to discuss possibilities and challenges for 5G and immersive within their organisations.

5G Network Access

There is a strong desire for regulatory bodies to create a 5G "motorway" accessible to all.

• Shared ownership and fail-safes are needed to ensure reliability, despite the risk of insufficient budget for upkeep and maintenance.  
• Ensuring cost-effective access and overcoming network saturation and connectivity issues during peak times are critical.  
• Financial implications for hardware and maintenance can be mitigated through splicing.

Community Engagement

There is a real appetite for enhancing visitor attractions with immersive and 5G technologies. This could include digital immersive experience at local monuments and historic sites, such as the immersive trail at Segedunum Roman Fort.

Nevertheless, attendees were clear that:  

1. Going fully remote is not what they want. Many organisations still want to encourage face-to-face interactions but enriched with digital immersive experiences powered by 5G.

2. Experiences need to be timeless and easily updated. Creating immersive experiences that don’t age and can be constantly refreshed will allow visitors to return more often, knowing they will encounter something new and engaging each time.

3. Weatherproofing outdoor experiences is key. Using immersive technology to allow outdoor experiences to be brought indoors, allows face-to-face interactions to still be engaging when weather affects outdoor activities. ‍

Challenges

The main barriers identified were that the lack of technical skills, limited knowledge and the high cost of equipment. Attendees expressed a desire for easy access to materials that can help them on their journey. This includes learning how to pitch 5G and immersive projects to secure funding; and accessing security guidance, resources and a list of support partners.

Our 5G Immersive Lab will reduce these barriers considerably through a programme of future workshops and training sessions, access to a 5G test bed and equipment and networking opportunities in the co-working spaces. It will also play a crucial role in de-risking investments by providing a platform for prototyping.

Learn more about the lab here.

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Feedback

The workshop highlighted that these technologies are accessible to all organisations, no-matter of their size and they can be used to drive innovation and growth, gain a competitive edge and increase revenue.

“The 5G & Immersive Tech initiative is a great way for companies to explore new ways to use 5G technology which offers many new opportunities over and above just a faster data connection.”

- Paul Vaclik

“Came away with a better understanding of 5G and how immersive tech such as AR/VR and overlays could help improve our visitor and education experiences.”

- Elizabeth Mccabe

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Final Thoughts

This first workshop marks the beginning of a promising journey. Whether you’re a micro, small or medium organisation looking to digitise your operations or just curious about the potential of 5G and immersive technology, our workshops will provide insights and practical applications.

We have plenty more workshops on the horizon catered to a wide range of North East industries. Click here to learn more.

If you have any questions with regards to our 5G Immersive Lab or the capabilities of these technologies, please get in touch with Jenna Ingoe at: jenna.ingoe@sunderlandsoftwarecity.com

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