Vertical: Manufacturing
Application: Improved automation
Ecosystem: Nokia
Private Network: 5G
Brazilian vaccine manufacturer Bio-Manguinhos has successfully tested Nokia’s private 5G network to enhance production reliability of vital pharmaceutical ingredients. The trial demonstrated significant potential to prevent the waste of over two million vaccine doses by addressing production interruptions.
The proof-of-concept at Bio-Manguinhos’ Rio de Janeiro facility forms part of Brazil’s MetaIndústria initiative, which aims to modernize the nation’s industrial base. This aligns with the government’s ambitious goal to digitally transform 90% of Brazilian industrial companies, up from the current 23.5%.
The implementation focused on monitoring critical roller bottle rotation processes containing biological materials for vaccine production. Previously, any rotation interruption could compromise entire batches of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) used in vaccines for diseases like mumps and measles.
Nokia’s private 5G network achieved impressive 16-millisecond latency, enabling real-time monitoring despite challenging conditions. The deployment required overcoming unique obstacles, including establishing connectivity through stainless steel-clad rooms where traditional wireless solutions struggled.
The project integrated existing programmable logic controllers with 5G capability, creating an IoT dashboard for real-time process monitoring. Additionally, maintenance staff gained remote access through 5G-enabled smartphones and notebooks running cloud-based management applications.
Key partners in this successful deployment included system integrator SPI Integração de Sistemas, Rockwell Automation, EDGE Brasil, and N&DC. The Brazilian Industrial Development Agency (ABDI) coordinated the initiative, with the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) providing use case development.
