xG-ALOE User Forum 2026: Driving Innovation in Private 5G and Open Enterprise Networks

On June 24–25, 2026, the xG-ALOE User Forum, jointly organised by Fraunhofer HHI and Fraunhofer IIS, brought together experts from industry, research, public authorities, and network operators at Fraunhofer IIS in Nuremberg. Over two days, the forum served as a platform for technical exchange, practical demonstrations, and interdisciplinary collaboration, highlighting the latest developments in private 5G and next-generation xG networks.

Featuring three parallel tutorial tracks, more than 20 expert presentations, two interactive panel discussions, live demonstrations, and extensive networking opportunities, the event reflected the broad spectrum of technologies and applications shaping the future of enterprise connectivity.

Day 1: From Regulation to Deployment

The first day focused on the technical foundations of private 5G networks, providing participants with practical insights into regulation, security, Open RAN, testing, monitoring, and positioning technologies.

The programme opened with a tutorial on the regulatory framework for 5G enterprise networks, presented by Oliver Keden (BNetzA) and Stefan Böcker (TU Dortmund University), followed by sessions on network security by Felix Klement (University of Passau) and Heiner Grottendieck (BSI).

Open RAN architectures, deployment, and operation were presented by Fabian Sowieja (IICT GmbH), Martin Kasparick (airpuls GmbH), and Thomas Höschele (CampusGenius), providing practical guidance on building and operating O-RAN-based enterprise networks.

Additional tutorials addressed certification and interoperability testing with Gabriele Schrenk and Ilia Shafigh (EANTC), active and passive 5G network testing by Reiner Stuhlfauth (Rohde & Schwarz), monitoring of enterprise networks by Sven Lankes (COCUS AG), and 5G positioning and spatial awareness presented by Maximilian Kasparek (Fraunhofer IIS).

Day 2: From Research to Real-World Deployment

The second day shifted the focus towards practical deployments and industrial use cases.

Success stories presented by Trevor Moore (Antevia Networks), Bernd Hoffmann (COCUS AG), Karlis Vilcins (LMT), Klaus Mößner (TU Chemnitz), and Claus Keuker (Boldyn Germany) demonstrated how private 5G networks are already creating value in construction, manufacturing, ports, transportation, and connected mobility.

The first panel discussion, "What do Users Really Need?", moderated by Holger Disch (brown-iposs GmbH), brought together Bernd Hoffmann (COCUS AG), Trevor Moore (Antevia Networks), Karlis Vilcins (LMT), and Klaus Mößner (TU Chemnitz) to discuss industrial requirements and user expectations for future private 5G deployments.

The afternoon continued with Impulse Talks from the xG-ALOE Working Groups, featuring Martin Kasparick (airpuls) on deterministic enterprise networks, Felix Klement (University of Passau) on security in Open RAN, Maximilian Kasparek (Fraunhofer IIS) on positioning and sensing, and Christian Freund (Open Radio Systems) on hardware reference architectures for O-RAN and edge cloud servers.

The second panel, "Wireless Networking in Industry – Challenges & Opportunities", moderated by Karin Loidl (Fraunhofer IIS), featured Tomasz Michna (Benetel), Thomas Höschele (CampusGenius), Niels König (Fraunhofer IPT), and Claus Keuker (Boldyn Germany), who discussed the current challenges, practical experiences, and future opportunities of industrial wireless networking.

The forum concluded with an introduction to the German Center for Smart Connectivity (KSK) by Matthias Tammen (RPTU), followed by Sławomir Stanczak (Fraunhofer HHI), who presented the current status of xG-ALOE, upcoming project activities, and the consortium's future roadmap.

Collaboration Beyond the Event

Alongside the conference programme, the exhibition area offered an ideal environment for live demonstrations, technical discussions, and networking. Researchers, technology providers, industry representatives, and end users exchanged ideas, established new collaborations, and explored future application scenarios for private 5G technologies.

The xG-ALOE User Forum 2026 once again demonstrated the importance of close collaboration between research, industry, and public stakeholders in accelerating the adoption of open, secure, and interoperable communication networks. The discussions initiated during the event will continue within the xG-ALOE Working Groups, further strengthening collaboration, technology transfer, and innovation across the private 5G ecosystem.

The xG-ALOE consortium would like to sincerely thank all speakers, moderators, exhibitors, partners, participants, the xG-ALOE Working Groups, and the entire organising team from Fraunhofer HHI and Fraunhofer IIS for their commitment and valuable contributions, which made this year's User Forum a great success.