The Research Council Industrie 4.0

Publications

Background

Industrie 4.0 is a significant challenge for businesses and research. In times of the Internet of Things (IoT), it fundamentally changes the way people, objects, and systems work and collaborate. Rigid value chains are being transformed into flexible value networks.

Therefore, strategic and independent advice regarding the implementation of existing concepts and further future developments is needed. As a strategic and independent committee, the Research Council Industrie 4.0 advises the Plattform Industrie 4.0, its working groups, and Germany’s Federal Ministries, particularly the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). In 2019, acatech was commissioned to take over the scientific coordination for another five-year period. For a successful development and a pre-competitive implementation planning for Industrie 4.0 in the German economy, the Research Council brings together approximately 30 representatives from science and industry and cooperates closely with the Plattform Industrie 4.0 and its working groups.

Objectives

The Research Council monitors and evaluates in a medium to long-term perspective the performance development of Industrie 4.0. In addition, the Research Council regards itself as the initiator for future research needs and as an advisor for the implementation of Industrie 4.0. Based on observations of Industrie 4.0 developments and trends, the Research Council formulates new concepts of pre-competitive impulses and recommendations for a successful implementation of Industrie 4.0. Therefore, the Research Council has identified key themes for categorizing future research and development needs and these themes will be crucial to successfully shaping Industrie 4.0 and Germany’s innovation system. These suggestions are directed towards policy makers, research institutions and business and relate to:

1. Value creation scenarios for Industrie 4.0
2. Prospective technological trends
3. New methods and tools for Industrie 4.0
4. Work and society
5. Innovation System in Germany

Members of the Research Council

Speakers

Voices of the Research Council

“One of the ingredients of flourishing societies is a healthy and balanced economy. Today, there are millions of businesses and professionals whose productivity, creativity and growth could be substantially unlocked by accessible automation. While data and machine learning will offer more opportunities to advance applications in industrial manufacturing, the three domains of trust — safety, security, and privacy — are the foundational pillars of future systems. Enabled through Industrie 4.0 concepts, robots will be given an intrinsic sense of vision and a sense of touch. More and more applications that were either technically not possible or economically viable will become enabled by data-driven capabilities. We see a future where humanity uses intelligent robotics to make, produce, and work together more sustainably — sharing in more of the benefits.”

Torsten Kroeger, Intrinsic Innovation GmbH

International

“Industrie 4.0 creates highly flexible, value-added networks that require the continuous development of technological concepts, standards, business models and frameworks. Thus, cross-national cooperation and regulated exchange between politics, science and business are of major importance. The Research Council and the Global Representative and Advisor of the Plattform Industrie 4.0 contribute together to this endeavour with their international associations and the expert knowledge in the aforementioned key themes.”

Prof. Dr. Henning Kagermann, Global Representative and Advisor of the Plattform Industrie 4.0

In order to extend Industrie 4.0 in an international context, the Research Council is closely connected with the Global Representative and Advisor of the Platform Industrie 4.0, Prof. Dr. Henning Kagermann (Chair of the acatech Board of Trustees). The Research Council and the Global Representative and Advisor are strongly involved in the design and implementation of international cooperation by the Plattform Industrie 4.0. The goals focus on professional exchange based on best practice examples, the coordination and management of global challenges with regard to core topics of Industrie 4.0, as well as the establishment and the consolidation of international networks and cooperation.

Further Information

German Website with all German Publications
Information Leaflet: Research Council of the Plattform Industrie 4.0 (available in German)
Plattform Industrie 4.0