Virtual Local Area Network

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy’s conference “From Silos to Ecosystems – Creating Europe’s Digital Momentum” (Berlin, 5–6 Nov 2025) highlighted Europe’s unique opportunity to lead in industrial data ecosystems powered by dataspace technology. While Europe may not compete at scale in general-purpose foundation models, it holds a strategic advantage in sovereign, cross-industry data sharing. Keynotes and panels emphasized the urgency of data readiness, with Oliver Ganser (BMW, Catena‑X) calling for accelerated adoption to maintain Europe’s lead. Practical workshops showcased initiatives such as Manufacturing‑X, Industrial AI, and the IPCEI on Cloud Infrastructure and Services, while RoX demonstrated early prototypes for AI‑based robotics dataspaces. The event underscored that Europe’s digital momentum will hinge on scaling industrial ecosystems, anchoring them in local clusters, and expanding across supply chains to unlock new growth opportunities.

BMW is introducing Catena‑X Certificate Management (CCM) as the new standard for exchanging compliance certificates such as AEO/CTPAT, IATF 16949, and ISO 9001. To help suppliers transition smoothly, BMW and T‑Systems International GmbH are offering orientation webinars that explain the CCM use case, outline BMW’s expectations, and demonstrate the registration and upload process. Each session includes a live demo and Q&A, with webinars available in both English and German. Recordings of past sessions are also provided, ensuring suppliers can access the information at their convenience.

T-Systems has launched its Connect & Integrate service on local infrastructure in China, enabling Chinese suppliers and manufacturers to securely and efficiently join the Catena-X ecosystem, bridging connectivity with global OEMs while ensuring data sovereignty and regulatory compliance.