The study by the Fraunhofer Institutes ISST, IOSB and IPA explains how a data room for the Manufacturing-X data ecosystem could be designed. In particular, it takes into account the specific requirements of manufacturing companies from the SME sector and their expectations of a secure and valuable digital data economy. Hartmut Rauen, Deputy Managing Director of the VDMA, called the blueprint study an important impetus for the future Manufacturing-X data space. It is "a milestone for its conception and development", said Rauen. He emphasized that the "architecture of Manufacturing-X will play a decisive role in determining what added value companies can derive from the data room in order to make optimum use of production data and thus increase efficiency".

Existing standards for maximum interoperability

The study has chosen a comprehensive approach that also looks at basic services and organizational aspects in addition to the digital architecture. Great importance is attached to the flexibility and scaling of the data room. The aim is to design Manufacturing-X in such a way that the specific requirements of the participating companies can be incorporated and dynamically developed. Gunther Koschnick, ZVEI Head of Industry: "Small and medium-sized companies in particular will be able to exchange their data more easily in future and also share it with third parties on an equal footing. At the same time, the sovereignty and security of the data will be preserved. With Manufacturing-X, we are building on existing standards, be it the Asset Administration Shell, the OPC UA standards in the umati environment or the use of so-called EDC connectors. Ultimately, it is about maximum interoperability for the integration of as many players as possible. The blueprint study shows the way in which this interaction can take place."

Boris Otto, Managing Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Software and Systems Engineering ISST, is also convinced of the benefits of data ecosystems and their rapid dissemination: "Data spaces allow data to be shared while maintaining the trust and data sovereignty of the participants and without the lock-in effects of traditional platform architectures. The resulting data ecosystems create benefits for a large number of different participants - which is very much in line with the structure of mechanical engineering and the electronics industry. Manufacturing-X is a unique opportunity for the industry to increase its resilience, competitiveness and sustainability. With Catena-X and the IDS and Gaia-X work, many foundations have also been laid that will enable rapid implementation."

The next steps

The "Manufacturing-X data room preliminary study"

© VDMA/ZVEI

The Manufacturing-X blueprint study will now be further refined in collaboration with partners from the manufacturing industry. The feedback and experience gained from these "deep dives" will be used to further optimize the final implementation of Manufacturing-X and ensure that it meets the specific needs of the industry.

You can download the preliminary study here: