This will ensure unprecedented transparency. Employees will be able to make decisions and flexibly plan and control production on the basis of up-to-date and reliable data.

Intelligent control also enables quick adaptation of the production process to current requirements. This makes the production of smaller quantities, a wide variety of versions and even custom products much more economical. This will help our customers to maintain a strong lead over the competition in the future also.

Four research institutions and 16 leading industrial companies, including Siemens, Trumpf and BMW, were involved. WITTENSTEIN was the leader of the consortium and is already implementing prototypes for Industry 4.0 in its Urban Production in Fellbach.

The research project ended in September 2015 with a two-day closing event in front of the gates of the transparent factory where various results were presented. More than a dozen demonstrations and practical examples have been developed and implemented in a real industrial surrounding.

People as sensors: Despite sensor technology in production, sensor gaps will exist in future. To cope with complex situations, human capabilities will remain indispensable.

People as decision-makers: Harmonization of networked objects may give rise to conflicts. In such cases, people must make quick and informed decisions.

People as players: Working in Industry 4.0 involves higher degrees of complexity and customization and irregular repeatability.

With Industry 4.0, people can adapt their working methodologies to the requirements at hand with flexibility and precision.