"We've been talking about Industry 4.0 for over ten years - now it's time to take the next step and raise the topic to a new level. The emerging data spaces are opening up new opportunities for companies to develop business models and monetize their own data. There is huge potential here and we must see the establishment of a data ecosystem that enables the trusting exchange of data between companies based on open standards as a unique opportunity for Europe," emphasizes Hartmut Rauen, Deputy Managing Director of the VDMA.

Factory-X lighthouse project

Manufacturing-X is part of the German government's digital strategy. The aim of the initiative is to strengthen the competitiveness, sustainability and sovereignty of European industry. The VDMA is an active partner in the Factory-X project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection. As a lighthouse project, this is intended to play a key role in shaping the Manufacturing-X data space.

Forum Manufacturing-X: These are the structures

The new forum is operationally managed by Dr. Marc Hüske. Reinhard Heister is responsible for the management. The central tasks of the new forum: representing the interests of association members with regard to Manufacturing-X, coordinating all activities into an overall picture, creating interfaces to relevant initiatives, projects and organizations outside the VDMA, providing information on ongoing topic-related activities, knowledge transfer and networking.

"Our first priority is to make Manufacturing-X known and the technical concept behind it understandable for our member companies. It is important to highlight the added value that multilateral and interoperable data networking offers for new digital business models. A company's own data sovereignty is always maintained, as data exchange is based on joint agreements and rules. The use of the data is tied to a specific purpose and can be limited in time," explains Forum Director Dr. Marc Hüske.

Broadcast of the VDMA Industry 4.0 Forum

Since 2014, the VDMA Industry 4.0 Forum has been dealing with questions and recommendations for action relating to the intelligent networking of machines and processes in industry. The resulting outcomes include the further development of the global language of production, which has been bundled in the VDMA's Machine Information Interoperability department since 2021 and currently offers more than 70 standardized machine interfaces based on OPC UA, and the associated umati initiative.

The interoperability achieved forms the basis for Manufacturing-X and supports the maxim of plug-and-work on the store floor. The Wireless Communications for Machines working group has made it possible to develop industry-compatible wireless connectivity for intelligently networked production.

Find out more about Manufacturing-X at the Hannover Messe in Hall 8, Stand D16.