The German organization Industrial Digital Twin Association e.V. (IDTA) and the Italian association Federtec, which represents companies from the fields of fluid technology, mechanical power transmission and industrial automation, have signed a letter of intent for cooperation. The aim of the cooperation is to pool the expertise of both organizations, intensify the exchange and jointly develop standards for interoperable industrial digital twins.

Cooperation goals and planned activities

Domenico Di Monte, Vice President of Federtec (left) and Dr. Matthias Bölke, CEO of IDTA are looking forward to the consolidation of a global data ecosystem based on the AAS. © IDTA

The agreement provides for both partners to work together on a wide range of activities. Among other things, the focus will be on

• Development of common topics: Identification and processing of issues that are of interest to both organizations.
• Exchange of representatives: Participation in meetings and events to promote direct dialog.
• Joint activities: Carrying out projects and workshops to share know-how.
• Public relations: Coordination in the provision of information, joint press releases and promotional activities.
• Information exchange: Regular exchange of publications and reports as well as coordination at management level to avoid duplication of work.

As a first measure, a workshop is already planned for March 2025, at which members of both organizations will discuss the use and benefits of the Administration Shell (AAS) and exchange experiences.

Strengthening international standardization

Both organizations are active in the standardization of digitalization projects on an international level, covering numerous industries. With this collaboration, IDTA and Federtec aim to build and consolidate a global ecosystem for digital twins - a decisive step towards further advancing industrial automation and meeting the challenges of technological innovation.

Domenico Di Monte, Vice President of Federtec, says: "Federtec aims to act as a reference point for the power transmission and fluid power sector and to be an important interlocutor for companies, institutions and national and international associations to discuss technological, industrial and market-related issues. We are very proud to start this collaboration with IDTA, which will serve to create a network that will improve the skills of our members and enable them to seize opportunities in the use of digital twins in the automation sector."

Dr. Matthias Bölke, CEO of the IDTA, explains: "Our goal at the IDTA is to establish the AAS for the entire life cycle of every asset in the industry and make it an international standard. Therefore, international dissemination is crucial and we are working with more and more industry organizations worldwide. We are pleased to sign this agreement with Federtec, creating a broad industry network in the Italian market to communicate the benefits of the AAS, connect automation industry players with similar interests and strengthen expertise in open source technology. We look forward to working together."