IEEE Solid-States Circuits Magazine - Winter 2021 - 78

CHAP TERS

IEEE SSCS Switzerland Chapter Hosts Webinar
on the Role of 5G in Industry 4.0

The IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society (SSCS) Switzerland Chapter organized a webinar with ties to local
industry. The speaker, Ludger Boeggering, is responsible for developing key industrial segments within
energy, automation, and Industry
4.0 applications for u-blox, a Swiss
leader in wireless and positioning
semiconductors and modules. Boeggering joined u-blox in 2015, with
the idea that industrial communication would significantly impact businesses and services whose products
would be in demand for Internet of
Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 applications. Thirty IEEE members from
the section attended the talk, and
topics included the 5G debate going
on in Switzerland and worldwide [1].
The Chapter has initiated several
meetings along these lines, including the first in October 2019, when
Korea Telecom Chief Executive Officer Chang-Gyu Hwang gave a talk
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MSSC.2020.3035982
Date of current version: 25 January 2021

at ETH Zurich. Hwang [2] is famous
The webinar was held in an apfor Hwang's law, published in Proplicative context and focused on the
ceedings of the IEEE, in 2003 [3],
rollout of circuit techniques in the
which dictates that the density of
field. Industry 4.0 delivers seamless
top-of-the-line memory chips will
vertical and horizontal integration
double every 12 months. There was
by significantly improving flexibila follow-up presentation about comity and efficiency across the entire
munication circuits building
value chain and all
the bridge between artifilayers of the automaThe presentation
cial intelligence (AI) and 5G
tion process. Wireless
introduced some of
communication networks,
communication and, in
the main building
demonstrating circuit
particular, 5G are key
blocks of 5G and
techniques leveraging AI
to implementing Induscertain major
for the safe and energytr y 4.0 and providing
challenges in
efficient use of millimepowerful and pervasive
information and
ter-wave beamforming
communication among
communications
[4]. This was followed
machines, people, and
technology.
by a Disting uished
objects. A BBC report [6]
Lecture describing the
described how automation
evolution of circuit techniques in rahas enabled Taiwan to maintain
dio-frequency ICs for cellular comindustrial production during the
-COVID-19 pandemic.
munication. This address, given by
Boeggering's webinar was diVenumadhav Bhagavatula, a senior
vided into five parts: u-blox's core
manager at Samsung Semiconducactivity, 5G, Industry 4.0 use cases,
tor [5], provided a thorough underpossible network implementations,
standing of how circuit techniques
and research. The event started
are evolving toward 5G cellular
with a few words about u-blox,
transceivers.

Boeggering introduces his lecture.

W I N T E R 2 0 2 1

IEEE SOLID-STATE CIRCUITS MAGAZINE

Positioning the Industry 4.0 architecture and business model for 5G
services.

IEEE Solid-States Circuits Magazine - Winter 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Solid-States Circuits Magazine - Winter 2021