The global initiative to expand industrial data ecosystems About Manufacturing-X

Industrie 4.0 urgently needs a shared, open data ecosystem where everyone involved in the value chain can expect security, sovereignty and interoperability when sharing their product and manufacturing data. Only this type of data ecosystem will facilitate future enhancements in efficiency and flexibility, enabling optimal sustainable production. It will also make supply chains more resilient and strengthen competitive advantages.

Background information: why the Manufacturing-X initiative is so important

The industrial manufacturing of products is the core and the backbone of a prosperous economy. About 15 million of the just under 45 million jobs held in Germany are directly or indirectly dependent on the manufacturing industry. These employers are facing major challenges, such as changing geopolitical conditions, climate change and global crises. Industry must be able to respond to disruptions in supply chains and in the supply of raw materials and resources. It must be able to make good use of the benefits of a data-based economy and produce goods in ecological and sustainable ways.

The digital and sustainable transformation of the German industry as a whole is more important than ever before. A basic requirement for this transformation is transparency about processes and resources in use across the entire value chain. Digital ecosystems and data sharing create the necessary basis for this transparency.

Added Value through Digital Cooperation

As part of the Manufacturing-X ecosystem, companies are strengthened in the context of global competition and growing regulatory requirements. By increasing digitalization, they secure their digital sovereignty.

The Manufacturing-X ecosystem allows companies to

• increase their process efficiency by leveraging standardized data exchange and compatible operating models
  e.g. for data management with their business partners
• innovate together with customers and suppliers
  e.g. for collaborative engineering
• set up new data-driven business models and create value through intelligent products and digital services
  e.g. manufacturing-as-a-service or collaborative condition monitoring solutions
• retain control over their data and securely exchange data across entire supply chains
  e.g. for exchanging the Digital Product Passport (DPP) or PCF reporting
• leverage synergies and optimize the efficiency in value networks
  e.g. with solutions for demand and capacity management or energy load management
• scale digital solutions more efficiently
  e.g. tools to feed their individual data into large-scale AI models without losing their digital sovereignty

Companies of all sizes – in particular also SMEs and startups – can easily participate in the data ecosystem and equally share the benefits mentioned above. In addition, Manufacturing-X also enables small companies and startups to develop entirely new products and digital services, expand their customer base and scale faster within the common data ecosystem.

Initiative: the strategic and structural design of Manufacturing-X

Manufacturing-X is a joint initiative of business, government and academia. Companies should be able to use data across their entire manufacturing and supply chains collaboratively, while retaining data sovereignty. This makes digital innovation more resilient, sustainable and competitive.

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is supporting the Manufacturing-X initiative with a funding program, thus making funding available to launch the necessary research and development work. From the start, the initiative has also been under development at European and global level – just as our value networks are organized globally. The International Manufacturing-X Council (IMX Council) is therefore being actively shaped by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and Plattform Industrie 4.0, and is working closely with European and international stakeholders. Learn more about the international Manufacturing-X initiative on the website of the ​Plattform Industrie 4.0 and in the ​IMX Council Playbook.

Collaboration is crucial to drive the development and implementation of interoperable data ecosystems. The national and international coordination structure (see figure) of Manufacturing-X aims to ensure that different projects work together efficiently, learn from each other and that there is an alignment and exchange of knowledge and ideas on an international level. This coordinated approach is essential to support the scaling and success of the initiative in global and cross-industrial value networks.

The Manufacturing-X Guidance Board consists of representatives from all funded projects that contribute to the development of the Manufacturing-X ecosystem, most of them as part of the Manufacturing-X funding scheme. With its dedicated members and technical Topic Groups, the MX Guidance Board ensures that all participating projects are contributing to the creation of one compatible and interoperable digital ecosystem across industries. Moreover, by coordinating the approach of the projects, overlap in their technical scope is avoided.

Since 2023, the Manufacturing-X Council Germany is responsible for the overall strategy of the Manufacturing-X initiative on a national level. Its tasks include bundling the results of national project activities, creating transparency, and coordinating and moderating the development of common approaches and design principles.

The International Manufacturing-X Council was initiated by several industrial nations in July 2023. The committee identifies relevant topics on a global level, coordinates a joint approach to implementing a global, interoperable data ecosystem and promotes the global harmonization of national regulations and shapes international standards. At the 8th Friends of Industry Conference on November 3, 2025, in Berlin, the ministers of economic affairs from 17 member states signed the Berlin Declaration. This declaration identifies the development of trusted, interoperable and federated data ecosystems as a key measure for a strong European industry.