Important step towards implementing the European Manufacturing-X vision / Catena-X meets Factory-X: GEC and Cofinity-X realize a showcase for interoperable data exchange

The showcase focuses on the technical integration of two central industrial ecosystems: Catena-X as an open, federated dataspace for the automotive industry and Factory-X as a cross-industry reference architecture for digital, networked production. The demonstrator shows how identities, access rights, and data interfaces are coordinated in such a way that consistent data exchange across domains and industry boundaries becomes possible.

From production to the dataspace

The technical basis for intra-factory integration is provided by the ONCITE Digital Production System (DPS) from German Edge Cloud and Dataspace OS by Cofinity-X. ONCITE DPS acts as a central data hub within the factory: It collects and contextualizes production data from machines, systems, and sensors, and prepares the data in a structured and standards-compliant manner for transfer to higher-level IT systems and dataspace connectors.

“Our task is to structure and integrate production data in such a way that it can be used confidently along the value chains,” says Dieter Meuser, CEO of German Edge Cloud.

Using the connector Dataspace OS, companies can then integrate this data securely, in a standardised and compliant way, into the Catena-X dataspace and share it with their partners. The data owner retains full control over their data, access rights, and terms of use at all times.

Cross-industry dataspaces for Manufacturing-X

As the operating company, Cofinity-X provides the required dataspace infrastructure and manages central services such as company onboarding, identity and rights management, and the registration of Dataspace Connectors. This creates a technical and organizational framework in which data can be exchanged securely, reliably, and scalably, extending beyond the automotive industry.

“The showcase demonstrates that federated dataspaces work across industries,” says Thomas Rösch, CEO of Cofinity-X. "As an operator and enabler of data ecosystems, we are laying the foundation for interoperability – today between Catena-X for the automotive industry and Factory-X as an industrial ecosystem, tomorrow for many other industries. This is a crucial step toward putting Manufacturing-X into practice and making it scalable."

Complementary roles along the data value chain

Within the partnership, Cofinity-X and German Edge Cloud assume clearly defined, complementary roles. Cofinity-X focuses on horizontal integration between companies and provides interoperable connector infrastructures for secure, federated data exchange based on the Eclipse Dataspace Components Connector (EDC). This level forms the basis for data exchange along the value chains.

German Edge Cloud is responsible for vertical integration within companies and intra-factory networking based on the MX ports specified by Factory-X. These standardized integration points from the Factory-X environment are provided by SmartFactory Kaiserslautern (SFKL), among others, and enable the structured connection of production systems to higher-level dataspaces.

The model factory of SmartFactory Kaiserslautern with the production cell ‘PHUKET‘ serves as a real production demonstrator. The modular, service-oriented production facility exemplifies how digital twins based on the Asset Administration Shell (AAS), OPC UA-based machine communication, and sovereign data exchange interact in a real manufacturing environment.

“For Manufacturing-X, interoperable dataspaces are just as important as a robust reference architecture that works in real production environments,” says Prof. Dr. Martin Ruskowski, CEO of SFKL. “With our model factory, we are demonstrating how ecosystems can be connected in concrete terms – in a way that is reproducible and transferable to industrial production landscapes.”

Live demonstration at Hannover Messe 2026

The joint showcase will be presented live for the first time at Hannover Messe in April 2026. It demonstrates how different data ecosystems can work together seamlessly and how the European Manufacturing-X vision can be implemented step by step in industrial practice. German Edge Cloud, Cofinity-X, and SmartFactory Kaiserslautern are thus making a concrete contribution to the digital sovereignty of European industry.

Interested parties can find the companies at Hannover Messe here: GEC (Hall 16/A16), Cofinity-X (Hall 13/C24), SFKL (Hall 13/C35).