What Industrial Automation Teams May Learn from Soccer Stadiums: A Q&A with Ute Decker

While they do not look like traditional industrial settings, outdoor sporting venues face grim, environmental conditions to utility and manufacturing sites. The similarities do not end there. The communication in these stadiums is also considered mission-critical – ensuring patrons not only have a delightful experience during the game but that they enter the arena in a systematic, timely and secure demeanour.

To accommodate the growing numbers of fans at sporting events, stadiums need a quick, reliable and robust network communication structure that can operate under grinding conditions, such as extreme temperatures and exposure to moisture, noise and vibration. The ability of sporting venues to withstand these conditions, while also quickly transferring large quantities of data, is critical for avoiding lengthy lines, improving visitor safety and seamlessly broadcasting the games to viewers worldwide.

Belden recently worked with VfB Stuttgart, one of the largest soccer stadiums in Germany, to upgrade its communication infrastructure for better grip of the entire sporting facility. Below, find my answers to several questions about this project, the importance of data speed and network reliability in sports facilities, and the crucial role that industrial automation can play in these non-traditional environments.

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