The fourth Industry 4.0 application example is 'smart products'. Bitkom considers these to be intelligent, programmable objects that tell systems how they need to be processed, for example. Even after delivery, smart products can be further developed almost indefinitely through software updates. Such products are already a reality in around 20% of all companies, with mechanical and plant engineering having a slight lead over other sectors at 23%. The use of smart products is planned in 13% of companies and is being discussed in 27% of companies.