Project completion FlexShield – Resilient 5G campus networks for the logistics of tomorrow.

Project completion FlexShield – Resilient 5G campus networks for the logistics of tomorrow.

FlexShield is a German initiative, funded by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), with the aim of enabling the secure and stable use of 5G technologies in industrial real-time applications.

With the successful completion of the FlexShield research project in spring 2025, we at the Triopt Group are closing a very special chapter: Our first publicly funded research project – with our own project management, a strong consortium (Logicall GmbH, University of Duisburg-Essen, v-tron GmbH and Triopt GmbH) and two concrete use cases that show what modern 5G campus networks can really achieve:

Whether autonomous vehicles, networked warehouses or the remote control of sensitive processes – industry needs networks that can be relied on at all times. This is exactly where FlexShield comes in: The aim was to design mobile private networks in such a way that they are not only fast and powerful, but also resilient and secure.

Two networks, one goal: redundancy through technology

The technical basis of FlexShield: two 5G networks operated in parallel that protect each other. The first network in the sub-6 GHz range (3.7-3.8 GHz) ensures stable basic coverage with a long range. The second network is based on mmWave technology (26 GHz from microamp-solutions) and delivers extremely fast data rates with low latency – ideal for real-time applications in logistics. The network architecture was supplemented by the targeted use of TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) to reliably prioritize time-critical data streams and keep communication stable and predictable even under high network loads.

If one network fails, the other takes over immediately. This ensures the uninterrupted operation of safety-critical processes at all times – a key requirement for industrial use.

Teleoperation & flying radio cell – two use cases, one scenario

This infrastructure was essential in order to not only test the two use cases – the teleoperation of a truck and the ad-hoc network setup by a relay drone – in parallel, but also to dovetail them. After all, this was precisely the core of the innovation: in an emergency, the drone serves as a flying radio cell that takes over if one of the two networks fails. This allows the truck’s remote control process to continue without interruption – a perfect combination of real-time communication, network resilience and practical application in logistics.

Strong partners, genuine expertise

The implementation of FlexShield was only possible thanks to the close cooperation with our project partners: logicall not only provided us with the premises of its Duisburg site, but also created the real practical framework for our tests with its logistics environment. The University of Duisburg-Essen, under the direction of Prof. Amr Rizk, provided important impulses in the area of TSN (Time-Sensitive Networking) and network architecture. v-tron was on board for the implementation of teleoperation. As project manager, we, Triopt, conducted intensive research on the 5G campus network – from the creation and simulation of technical concepts and the targeted implementation of attack scenarios to measurements, optimization and evaluation – and at the same time took over the complete development and integration of the network and the drone system as system integrator.

Project manager Jonas Piepke brought the project to a successful conclusion with a clear focus, technical understanding and a great deal of passion:

“FlexShield was more than just research for us – it was proof that secure 5G networks already work today. And that we at Triopt are ready to help shape the future.”

 

Contribution to digital sovereignty

FlexShield was supported by the German government’s 5G/6G funding program, funded by the BSI and supported by the DLR as the project sponsor. It stands for secure communication, technological independence and the expansion of digital infrastructure – goals that we at Triopt actively support and drive forward – And now? We are implementing what we have learned directly – in new projects, customer solutions and our further research.