Originally published by El Espanol on 14th December 2025.

What will be the next big technological transformation in the industry?

It’s hard to predict with certainty, but one thing is clear: it won’t be long before it arrives. And to be ready, investing alone isn’t enough. Businesses must be digital, connected, and agile.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen-AI) has recently entered the industrial landscape and is already transforming the way we work. How? By analysing trends to anticipate machine failures, processing vast amounts of data to present it clearly to operators, and improving safety through models trained to interpret video in real time.

But AI cannot realise its full potential without high-quality data. This requires huge volumes of information from devices and sensors connected across the entire plant. To make that possible, we need robust connectivity, ultra-low latency, and maximum security and privacy—even in the most challenging environments, such as explosive areas or facilities with heavy metal infrastructure.

This is where industrial 5G becomes a game-changer. Designed for complex scenarios like ports, airports, mines, refineries, and manufacturing plants, 5G is a critical enabler of this transformation.

The same applies to mission-critical communications - those that cannot fail when everything else does. Recent events, such as the blackout on the Iberian Peninsula, severe storms, or major cloud outages, have exposed the vulnerabilities of public communication systems.

Remaining connected during emergencies is essential to protect people and ensure business continuity. The combination of robust private 5G networks and complementary technologies, such as satellite communications, will be key to achieving this level of resilience.

In this context, the radio spectrum is a strategic resource for industrial 5G - the motorway on which all communications travel. Guaranteeing data security, avoiding interference, and ensuring maximum availability requires firm, consistent regulatory decisions so that industries and manufacturers feel confident to keep investing in 5G solutions.

Spain has taken an important step by allocating dedicated industrial spectrum with self-service frequencies in the n40 band (2300–2400 MHz), and European harmonisation of the n77 band (3.8–4.2 GHz) is expected soon.

Thanks to these measures, strategic sectors of Spanish industry are consolidating leadership positions in areas such as smart ports and cities, connected transport systems, and Industry 4.0 - adopting technologies like 5G and proving that digital transformation is not just a trend but a tangible reality creating global opportunities.