The future of industry lies in the convergence of systems: connectivity, mobility, and cyber resilience for the definitive scale-up to the smart factory
Minsait visits the MWC to showcase how mobility is transforming operations at production plants by connecting workers, providing data for real-time decision-making, and reducing response times
Private 5G networks and critical communications are establishing themselves as the pillars driving system convergence and enabling industry to move towards more connected, efficient, and resilient operating models
Industry needs to scale securely and become competitive in the current-day global scenario, which is why it’s vital to integrate cyber resilience into the design and control data to maintain uninterrupted production
The modernization of industry has increased the number of sensors, data, and digital tools, but information (so-called IT) systems and factory applications (OT environments) in too many factories are still progressing in parallel, creating frictions that prevent information from being converted into rapid decisions in the field. These were the words of Eladio García, Director of Manufacturing, Infrastructures and Transport of Industry and Consumption at Minsait (Indra Group), during his speech today at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona addressing the importance of converging technological environments in factories and industries. Only by integrating the two domains, the expert reminded the attendees, can all of the devices in an industrial infrastructure operate optimally, with the processes remaining synchronized and the decisions being made in real time.
Within this context, García emphasized that mobility has become an operational need, as it enables connected workers, makes data available for real-time decision-making, reduces response times, and strengthens security.
“The question is no longer whether there’ll be any IT/OT convergence, but how fast and how securely we’ll be able to scale it. The dependence of a business on digital operations is now structural, and it calls for governance and cyber resilience suited to the impact. In other words, the critical question is no longer “which device” is used, but whether the infrastructure can support mobility as a core part of the operation, on a large scale and with a controlled risk”, explained the Minsait director, who also argued that “mobility accelerates this IT/OT convergence, because it imposes alignment between equipment and technologies. When it’s properly governed, it creates a framework of predictability in demanding industrial environments; when it’s poorly managed, it only adds noise and risk”.
Eladio García, Director of Manufacturing, Infrastructures and Transport of Industry and Consumption at Minsait (Indra Group)
The importance of connectivity
To guarantee this process, communications (especially private 5G networks) are shaping up to be a critical enabler for industry. García stressed that the new generation of connectivity will bring low latency, greater reliability, and a high performance, key capabilities when it comes to supporting advanced use cases such as autonomous vehicles, digital twins, augmented reality-assisted maintenance, real-time quality inspection, and connected worker solutions. Unlike traditional infrastructures, 5G can “guarantee quality of service, segment OT traffic and offer robust communications coverage, even in complex industrial environments, turning connectivity into a strategic asset that drives system convergence and facilitates the scalability of the digital transformation at the plant”.
This is a field in which the company, he explained, brings a comprehensive proposal that goes beyond infrastructure deployment, combining its expertise in critical communications and private 5G networks with advanced integration capabilities to ensure that the connectivity is fully aligned with the industrial processes and business goals. Minsait’s proposal also incorporates cybersecurity into factory processes from the design stage, thus protecting operations without undermining availability. “In this way, 5G not only enables new use cases, it becomes a secure, scalable, and resilient platform for the industry of the future”, he stated.
Three risks on industry’s radar: cybersecurity, governance, and organizational readiness
During his speech, García underlined that, as industry connects people, machines and data, the primary risk vector is cybersecurity, given that any incident ceases to be a technological problem and becomes a matter of business continuity and people’s safety. The second challenge is data control; when sources and systems converge, questions of ownership, traceability, compliance, and accountability arise and, without clear rules, the organization cannot trust or scale.
Thirdly, he pointed out, organizational readiness is key; technology moves forward faster than capabilities, and silos, talent gaps and the ambiguity of roles slow down and block initiatives, with the constant tension of innovating without interrupting production. “Companies that move forwards regard these challenges as strategic decisions; they align operations, IT and security from the top, establish clear priorities, and define the risk tolerance from the outset. A strategic approach encompassing all of the levels of organizations is required, in such a way that the technology really scales and brings the results and benefits for which it’s designed”, he declared.
For Minsait, it’s clear that the success of IT/OT convergence over the next three to five years will not be down to whoever accumulates the most advanced technology, but rather whoever deploys the most scalable and resilient operating model. It’s on this roadmap where connectivity becomes a strategic asset that’s reliable, secure, and predictable; security ceases to be a defensive environment and becomes standard and integrated throughout the value chain (IT, OT and the cloud) so as to withstand and recover from incidents without production being halted, while worker empowerment becomes a priority by means of mobile and automation tools that simplify, not complicate, and the support of training and change management.
Eladio García took part in today’s panel discussion titled Accelerating IT/OT Convergence in Manufacturing with Mobile Technologies at the Mobile World Congress 2026, during which he shared Minsait’s vision of how to scale IT/OT convergence with mobility and security in industrial environments. This activity forms part of Indra Group’s visit to the MWC, which the company is attending with a key range of critical technologies and advanced solutions to drive strategic autonomy.