Dialogue on Industrie 4.0 Standardisation Strengthened

Industrie 4.0 supports the Twin Transition

Industrie 4.0 is revolutionising the way companies manufacture and distribute their products. At the same time, it plays an important role in facilitating interoperability and sustainability in industry. This means that digitalisation can support sustainability by, for example, improving resource and energy efficiency and reducing emissions. Consequently, Industrie 4.0 facilitates the transition to a digitalised and green economy (Twin Transition).

Experts discuss current developments and trends  

Amelie Banhart (German Institute for Standardization, DIN) and Marvin Böll (German Commission for Electrotechnical, Electronic & Information Technologies in DIN and VDE, DKE) presented the German Standardization Roadmap Industrie 4.0. It provides guidance and recommendations for action with a focus on three aspects: interoperability, autonomy and sustainability. The fifth edition of the Roadmap was published in 2023. Ankita Srivastava from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) presented its focus on Industrie 4.0 standardisation. She highlighted the great importance that the Indian side attaches to empowering micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to adopt Industrie 4.0 concepts. At the event, more than 90 German and Indian experts from standardisation bodies, other QI-bodies and industry engaged in dialogue on current developments, priorities and use cases in Germany and India.

New requirements, e.g. to improve the environmental sustainability of products, offer opportunities for the practical application of Industrie 4.0 concepts. Katharina Sehnert (DIN) and Marvin Böll (DKE) introduced the Digital Product Passport for Industrie 4.0 (DPP4.0). It allows the documentation and provision of product information by combining regulatory requirements of the EU with established Industrie 4.0 concepts. For the Indian side, Nitin Nair (Siemens) provided inputs on current trends and requirements of Indian manufacturers regarding Industrie 4.0. In his opinion, a DPP could create value for Indian stakeholders, within the Indian context.  

Enabling technologies of the DPP4.0

Marvin Böll (DKE) introduced the PCF@Control Cabinet as a use case of the DPP4.0. It shows how the combined carbon footprint of all components of a product can be calculated automatically. Detlef Tenhagen (Harting) addressed essential standards that enable the DPP to function, such as the Asset Administration Shell (IEC 63278) and Digital Twin. Concluding the technical contributions, Ingo Weber (Siemens) highlighted the central role of the IEC Technical Committee 65 and its Working Groups for Industrie 4.0 standards development at international level

International cooperation for technical harmonisation

Joachim Geiß (German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, BMWK) and Chandan Bahl (BIS) emphasised the important role of the bilateral dialogue on standardisation within the framework of the Indo-German Working Group. This was echoed by Jörg Seifarth (DIN) and Nadine Petermann (DKE), who also highlighted that consumers, the economy and the environment would benefit worldwide from harmonised quality infrastructures regarding Industrie 4.0.

Indo-German Dialogue on Industrie 4.0 Standardisation

The event successfully continued the ongoing collaboration on Industrie 4.0 within the Indo-German Working Group on Quality-Infrastructure. Based on the provided inputs and discussion on international standards and roadmaps for Industrie 4.0, the event improved the mutual understanding between Indian and German experts on the topic. The hybrid event took place both virtually and on site at BIS in New Delhi. It has been jointly organised with BIS, DIN, DKE and the Standardization Council Industrie 4.0 (SCI4.0). The cooperation on Industrie 4.0 is an important part of the Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure. Further events on Industrie 4.0 standardisation are therefore already planned for the coming months.