SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN 2025: "We Must Embrace the Challenge"

How much progress have you made with the implementation?

Mikulina: We’ve reached a milestone by convincing major players from the IT sector of the potential for collaboration. Representatives from prominent IT companies such as Intel, Dell or Ionos visited SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN 2023 and were impressed by the potential. We are now close to realizing the IndustryFusion-X platform, with the help of these and other IT companies, where data sovereignty remains with each participating company. The platform will be plug-and-play, so easy to use for SMEs without dedicated IT expertise to access. The problem with otherwise brilliant concepts like Gaia-X or Manufacturing-X is that SMEs often cannot afford to implement this technology. This is exactly what this is about: not only building the infrastructure but implementing it in practice together.

Can DVS member companies benefit from this even without membership in the IFF?

Mikulina: Yes, absolutely. For example, we are now able to use blockchain technology to uniquely identify a component throughout its entire lifecycle, even without a chip. For this Digital Product Passport, we are offering a test phase for a non-profit platform called Industry Fusion Register for Identification (IFFRIC) to DVS member companies. The principle is similar to what ICANN has done for URL addresses. While this may sound abstract at first, IFFRIC is a crucial tool in the fight against product piracy. The next step we will present at the Open Source Summit at SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN is IndustryFusion-X: a Data Space 4.0 that also enables large business models. Its computational power also allows the use of AI models – a huge breakthrough. I will only mention key terms like Equipment as a Service or Shared Production.

Mr. Jerzembeck, is such an approach suitable to eliminate the barriers that are currently hindering DVS member companies in terms of digitization?

Jerzembeck: I believe so. What are the barriers? For our more than 17,000 member companies, which are mostly SMEs, the challenges in adopting digitization solutions are mainly that the success of such implementations is not immediately measurable. So, investments in IT and employees with the necessary expertise are required upfront, without knowing how this step will pay off in monetary terms or in terms of competitiveness. There’s also the concern of our Hidden Champions – and there are many – about sharing data that may be exclusive process or product know-how. In some cases, companies can also hinder their own development by not realizing new business models for their proprietary knowledge. All these barriers can be overcome with an open-source solution like that of the IndustryFusion Foundation. We certainly must embrace the challenge of digitization, because without it, our companies will no longer be competitive internationally.

Kleinpaß: We also have to face the issue of competitiveness at the fair itself. SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN is the world's leading trade fair, and we aim to keep it that way. To achieve that, we need to evolve with the industry, especially as we observe the fair’s once strong focus on orders shifting more towards innovation and communication. The fact that the Open Source Summit by the IndustryFusion Foundation is taking place for the first time as part of the fair highlights this shift. Right on the first day of the fair, all information about digitization will be shared with the public, with the option for visitors to gather more detailed information from the companies at their booths in the following days – offering a true value add.

What else are you looking forward to at the SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN programme?

Kleinpaß: Personally, I’m especially looking forward to the Future Hub. It’s a new communication space right in the middle of the fair with various formats: from panel discussions to meet-and-greets to speaker slots for exhibitors. We have content creators like Igor Welder and other influencers, a talk with female leadership figures, discussions on CO₂ reduction and cybersecurity – so really a comprehensive look at many topics that are important to the industry.

Jerzembeck: On the technical side, two topics particularly interest me: First, we’ve recently focused on validating methods for testing weld seams in the research projects we fund through DVS Forschung (Research). These quality assessments, adapted directly to the welding process, occur in real-time, automatically, online or inline. This is also an area closely linked to digitization and the use of AI. It will be interesting to see what products have emerged from these projects. The second topic concerns regulatory requirements that will be groundbreaking for the industry. Whenever the EU-wide limit for welding fumes goes into effect, and it will, there is an urgent need for action. I’m very curious to see what solutions we will see for reducing welding fumes. One key to success will also be process management with the relevant documentation. And that brings us back to digitization.

Mikulina: I believe we can present the connection between mechanical engineering and IT much better at this year’s Open Source Summit than at the premiere. And even though many programmes are digital, personal presentation and communication are simply much more efficient than self-study on the internet.

Kleinpaß: Exactly! That is also why SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN 2025 is under the motto "Join the Future."

(Source: Messe Essen GmbH)