Fraunhofer Institute for Software and Systems Engineering
Fraunhofer Institute for Software and Systems Engineering

Catena-X Automotive Network

Alliance for secure and standardized data exchange


The supply chain law or the monitoring of a CO2 footprint are only two current challenges of the automotive industry. They require cross-company data usage so that end-to-end value chains emerge. In the Catena-X project, an ecosystem for the entire automotive sector is being established, which will be set up in a highly scalable manner from the very beginning. The core element of the network is a shared offering of federated data and services that enables companies to shorten the "time-to-market" of innovative solutions, use resources more efficiently, and increase the transparency and resilience of value creation processes.

The challenge

Continuous data chains are facilitated by uniform standards for the exchange of relevant data. However, trust in the network is also highly relevant for the success of the network. Catena-X follows the Gaia-X specifications and the reference architecture of the International Data Spaces from the very beginning, so that individual sovereignty for specific data is guaranteed for network participants at all times. The added value of this innovative overall architecture is demonstrated using various use cases, e.g. traceability or demand and capacity management.

Our contribution 

Fraunhofer ISST brings extensive experience in the use and further development of the basic components of the International Data Spaces to the project. These will be further developed and industrially hardened in the consortium. Furthermore, central use cases of Catena-X benefit from successfully piloted pioneer projects for cross-company data exchange in the automotive industry (e.g. with consortium partner Volkswagen). Fraunhofer ISST contributes these insights to the project. Under the leadership of Fraunhofer ISST, the institutes IML, IOSB, IPA, IFF and IWU are also significantly involved in the project. 

 

Results  

The Catena-X Automotive Network project is creating a collaborative and open data network for the German and European automotive industry. The project represents the first large-scale deployment of Gaia-X compliant services in Industry 4.0 and is therefore of strategic importance; for Germany and Europe.  

 

Partners 

  • BMW Group
  • Mercedes-Benz AG
  • Volkswagen AG
  • SAP SE
  • T-Systems International GmbH
  • ZF Friedrichshafen
  • Robert Bosch GmbH
  • Siemens AG
  • BASF SE
  • Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
  • Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co KG
  • DMG MORI AG
  • Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V.
  • ARENA2036 e. V.
  • LRP Autorecycling
  • Gris Umformtechnik GmbH
  • Fetch.ai Research and Development GmbH
  • CCT
  • BigChainDB GmbH
  • Trumpf GmbH & Co. KG
  • SupplyOn AG
  • German Edge Cloud GmbH & Co KG
  • ADAC
  • Up2Parts GmbH
  • Mipart
  • Microsoft

 

Internet

 

Funding

  • Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection BMWK
  • Funding reference: 13IK004N
  • Duration: 08/2021-07/2024