Future Industrial Networks: Technologies, Algorithms, and Protocols

Dear Colleagues,

Industrial networks are crucial for the transformation of manufacturing plants into smart factories. These networks rely on heterogeneous technologies to provide ubiquitous communication, localization, sensing, and computing capabilities for a variety of use cases with diverse performance requirements. Nonetheless, industrial environments are impaired by heavy multi-path propagation and frequent non-line-of-sight conditions, with negative effects on system performance. Furthermore, industrial processes involve several fixed and mobile assets that must be monitored and controlled—for example, using Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)-oriented devices and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. The goal of this Special Issue is to present effective technologies, algorithms, and protocols for context awareness and process monitoring powered by Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

This Special Issue seeks to explore theoretical and experimental aspects of industrial networks, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Mobile radio network architectures and optimizations;
• IIoT-oriented architectures and infrastructures;
• Ultra-low-power solutions for IIoT networks;
• Digital Twin-assisted predictions and optimizations for IIoT networks;
• Network planning;
• Network data analysis;
• Implementation of wireless power transfer techniques;
• Design of radio-over-fiber solutions;
• Proof of Concepts for industrial networks;
• AI in wireless communications and sensing;
• AI-based context and location awareness;
• AI-based process monitoring;
• Quantum technologies and protocols for industrial networks;
• Semantic and goal-oriented communications for IIoT applications;
• Open, programmable, and AI-powered RAN for IIoT applications;
• Computing infrastructures for IIoT applications;
• End-to-end network slicing for IIoT applications;
• Channel models for IIoT applications.

This Special Issue is partially supported by the European Union under the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRPP) of Next Generation EU (NGEU), partnership on "Telecommunications of the Future" (PE00000001—program "RESTART").

Dr. Luca Davoli
Prof. Dr. Gianluigi Ferrari
Dr. Carlos Antonio Gomez Vega
Dr. Andrea Giani
Dr. Giampaolo Cuozzo
Dr. Riccardo Marini
Guest Editors

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