Integration of Cloud Edge Computing into IoT in Modern Industrial Environments

Dear Colleagues,

The integration of cloud edge computing into Internet of Things (IoT) in modern industrial scenarios represents a pivotal development in enhancing industrial efficiency, reliability, and innovation. This amalgamation leverages the strengths of both cloud and edge computing to address the unique demands of industrial environments, where real-time data processing, robust security, and efficient data management are critical.

This integration has proven to be one of the pillars of the Industry 4.0 revolution. I4.0 has fostered a deep change in the rigid organization model for factories. The multiple implications of the “connected factory" concept will lead to unexpected developments in production environments. Connected and interacting IoT objects will populate the factories of the future.

A progressive and decisive integration of cloud edge computing paradigms into modern industrial IoT objects is expected to occur, which practitioners refer to as the modern industrial digitalization, emphasizing the shortening of the gap between the manufacturing processes running on the shop floor and the storage, networking, computing resources, virtualization, and business-orientated software suites of the cloud and edge paradigms.

In this context, we propose this Special Issue, addressing “The Integration of Cloud Edge computing into IoT in modern Industrial Environments”. The focus of this Special Issue will be on technologies, paradigms, practices, and systems that ease or enable this revolutionary integration.

Emergent paradigms including artificial intelligence (AI), privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs), cybersecurity, blockchain (BC), IIoT systems and platforms, Cloud Continuum, zero defect/waste manufacturing, big data, industrial sustainability, advanced service orchestration in industrial deployments, 5G/6G communication, digital twins (DTs), and the metaverse are key aspects shaping the development of modern smart factories built on the integration of Cloud Edge computing into IoT.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited, to the following:

• Application of industrial Cloud Continuum;
• IIoT platforms and service orchestration;
• 5G/6G communication for industrial deployment;
• Computing continuum for smart factory services;
• Digital twins for industrial process or product monitoring;
• Edge data center deployment in industrial environments;
• ML- and AI-based approaches to cloud/edge-based smart factory applications;
• AI-driven models, architectures, and frameworks for industrial cloud edge computing;
• Design and evaluation tools for scalability and efficient resource allocation in Industry 4.0;
• Blockchain solutions for secure and reliable transactions between counterparts in data sharing/trading;
• Post-quantum security and privacy for industrial applications;
• Design and evaluation of microservice-based networking for 5G edge networks;
• Zero waste/defect manufacturing;
• Green manufacturing in Industry 5.0 deployment.

Dr. Riccardo Venanzi
Dr. Ruidong Li
Guest Editors

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• IoT
• cloud continuum
• industry 4/5.0
• big data
• AI/ML
• predictive maintenance
• anomaly detection
• industrial 5G
• ML/DevOps
• smart manufacturing