Just in time for the Hannover Messe 2016, German industry associations and standardization organizations are launching the Standardization Council Industrie 4.0. In addition to coordinating standards, the Standardization Council Industrie 4.0 represents the interests of international consortia and organizes and shapes the German Standardization Roadmap Industrie 4.0. It also defines the requirements for new projects and organizes their international implementation.

The establishment of the Council is welcomed across all industries, as the Internet of Things requires rules and structures that overcome the existing industry boundaries between electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and IT. This is precisely where the new standardization initiative comes in to promote consistent standardization. With this forward-looking and practice-oriented perspective, the 'Standardization Council Industrie 4.0' is unique as an institution.

The founding initiators of the 'Standardization Council Industrie 4.0' are the German Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media(Bitkom), the German Institute for Standardization (DIN), the German Commission for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies(DKE), the German EngineeringFederation (VDMA) and the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association(ZVEI).

The Industry 4.0 platform as a driving force for the Standardization Council

The 'Standardization Council Industrie 4.0' emerged from the Plattform Industrie 4.0. The Industry 4.0 platform is a coordinating network for shaping the digital transformation in production and develops recommendations for action for politicians and companies. This includes the development and anchoring of standards in order to harmonize them nationally and internationally. The Council acts independently of the platform and is organizationally based at the DKE.

Plattform Industrie 4.0, Labs Network Industrie 4.0 and Standardization Council work together

Standards are essential for the rapid implementation of Industrie 4.0 solutions in practice. The central basis for internationally uniform and open standardization is the 'Reference Architecture Model Industrie 4.0 - RAMI 4.0', which was developed within the Plattform Industrie 4.0 by the working group "Reference Architectures, Standards and Norms" and is attracting great international interest. The working group will continue to be involved in the work of the Council.

The now established 'Standardization Council Industrie 4.0' also supports practical testing in test centers. Supplemented by close cooperation with the new Labs Network Industrie 4.0 association founded by Plattform Industrie 4.0 stakeholders, new Industrie 4.0 solutions and the standards used in them can be tested. The results in turn flow directly into the further development of standards, both nationally and internationally, via the Council. The entire process is designed to promote the close involvement of SMEs in the standardization work.

This concerted approach, which is unique in the world to date, helps to strengthen the competitiveness of German companies in the field of Industry 4.0 and has the potential to serve as a blueprint for other cross-sector technology areas.