RoX in Japan @ RRI & KUPAC: AI + dataspaces

In December 2025, T-Systems advanced Catena-X adoption in Asia through two key events: the Catena-X Supplier Onboarding Day in Tokyo and the Global Data Spaces Roundtable in Beijing. From practical supplier onboarding to large-scale automotive pilots in China, discussions focused on regulatory pressure, data sovereignty, and secure cross-company data exchange. Together with partners such as Siemens, BMW Group, BASF, and Flex, T-Systems demonstrated how trusted dataspaces enable scalable, compliant collaboration across global automotive value chains.

The Catena-X taskforce, together with CAAM, launched the “China Automotive Industry Trusted Data Space” pilot at IAA Munich, enabling secure, compliant, and scalable local data exchange for Chinese OEMs and suppliers, starting with Certificate Management. Early results show faster, traceable, and machine-readable certificate transactions, laying the foundation for future quality, sustainability, and PCF use cases.

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.

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.

RoX launched live at Automatica 2025 with three AI-powered robotics demos, a first ecosystem dashboard, and KITs as key enablers. Backed by a €52M consortium of over 20 partners, RoX is accelerating secure, data-driven robotics innovation, proving how collaborative ecosystems can reduce complexity, unlock value, and create new growth opportunities.

Interoperability in manufacturing is often misunderstood. Not because companies doubt its importance, but because it's difficult to visualize what success looks like. This blog uses simple analogies to explain the core challenges: outdated machines that can’t “speak” to modern systems, and people hesitant to share data without context or trust. With solutions like Asset Administration Shells and Data Spaces, manufacturers can unlock hidden value, foster secure collaboration, and take real steps toward digital transformation.

Manufacturing is undergoing a digital revolution, yet many transformation initiatives stall due to a fundamental problem: data trapped in silos. The real roadblock isn't AI or lack of tools, but interoperability—the ability of systems, teams, and companies to understand and trust each other's data. This article explores why traditional approaches fail and introduces Manufacturing Data Spaces as the missing foundation. Data Spaces provide a secure, sovereign framework for controlled data sharing across plants and partners—without giving up ownership. From energy efficiency to predictive maintenance and compliance reporting, real-world examples show how manufacturers can unlock value while preserving control. We explore the layers of interoperability, human concerns, key enabling technologies like AAS and OPC UA, and how to get started with pilots that deliver real ROI. For manufacturers, building trust-based data collaboration isn’t just a tech upgrade—it’s a strategic move that defines future competitiveness in an increasingly connected industry.

At Hannover Messe 2025, Deutsche Telekom’s Data Intelligence Hub showcased its Dataspace-as-a-Service and “dataphone” products across five exhibits and eleven live demos, demonstrating real-world use cases in automotive, robotics, and industrial ecosystems. With strategic investments into the core dataspace network, foundational infrastructure, and data-layer super-apps, Telekom is driving scalable, secure, and standards-based data collaboration. Whether joining Catena-X, building internal dataspaces, or forming cross-industry data ecosystems, enterprises now have proven tools to unlock value from their data with full governance, interoperability, and sovereignty.

At Hannover Messe 2025, T-Systems showcased innovations across Data Spaces, the Metaverse, AI, and sustainability-spanning use cases from immersive training and CO₂ tracking to international supply chain transparency and sovereign cloud infrastructure. With active participation across Gaia-X, Industry 4.0, and umati partner stands, T-Systems highlighted its leadership in digital industrial transformation, engaging with political, media, and industry leaders to shape the future of manufacturing.

T-Systems and NTT Communications are pioneering global dataspace collaboration, bridging Europe and Japan with interoperable data-sharing ecosystems. This partnership leverages T-Systems’ Build & Operate testbed and NTT’s local expertise to foster innovation, trust, and secure cross-border data sharing.

Sustainability is evolving from compliance to a strategic advantage, transforming supply chains through data-driven ecosystems. By leveraging CO₂ data chains, digital twins, and open data spaces, companies enhance efficiency, enable precise recalls, and accelerate innovation. Our workshop with AWS, Bosch, and IDSA highlighted how dataspaces drive sustainability and supply chain resilience, unlocking new business models and shared investments.

RoX is creating a cutting-edge digital ecosystem for AI-based robotics, revolutionizing manufacturing, logistics, and services through data-driven efficiency and collaboration. Supported by BMWK funding and an extensive consortium including industry giants and SMEs, RoX aims to simplify adoption, enhance interoperability, and drive Europe’s industrial innovation forward.