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What SMEs need to consider in the context of digital transformation in order to establish and ensure the operational technology security (OT security) of their machines and systems.b

How to introduce AI-based planning systems: from identifying suitable use cases and creating digital foundations to designing agile and human-centered innovation processes.

We honor outstanding companies that demonstrate the innovative strength in Baden-Württemberg with excellent digitalization solutions, highly innovative developments and holistic transformation projects.

After the very weak economy in 2024, hopes are pinned on markets picking up in 2025 / Politicians must set business-friendly framework conditions

As part of the "X-Forge BW" project led by Fraunhofer IPA, a guideline for the use of machine data was created together with well-known companies. This is available for download free of charge.

With the support of experienced scouts from the field, the first steps toward digitization become more tangible.

VDMA spoke with Patrick Theobald from Peakboard and Florian Rühl from Simplifier about the topic of low code.

The VDMA accompanies and supports its members on the way to Industrie 4.0. Here you will find an overview of the current publications on the topic.

Reports: Future Manufacturing and VDMA Magazine

As a VDMA member, secure your free ticket for the SPS in Nuremberg from November 25 to 27, 2025

Cutting Tool Exchange format (CTE) – Part 30: Reamer

Cutting Tool Exchange format (CTE) – Part 20: Drills

Cutting Tool Exchange format (CTE) – Part 10: Milling cutter

On May 29, 2025, more than 50 industry experts met at the VDMA China Management Meeting at ebm-papst in Shanghai to exchange views on current topics such as intelligent manufacturing and export controls.

Tools for woodworking – Data model for the description of geometry and process parameters

OPC UA for Machinery – Part 1: Basic Building Blocks

OPC UA for Machinery – Part 101: Result Transfer

VDMA 24124:2025-06 introduces a structured Job Target Definition (JTD) model, using Protobuf and JSON standards to enable machine-independent, scalable data exchange in flat glass processing.

The study deals with questions relating to the technologies used and future plans of users in the field of industrial communication in mechanical engineering. Almost 300 machine manufacturers and system integrators took part.

The study deals with questions about the technologies used and future planning in the field of smart sensors in mechanical engineering.

Cutting Tool Exchange format (CTE) – Part 2: General definitions for round tools

OPC UA for Machinery – Part 4: Energy Management

OPC UA interfaces for plastics and rubber machinery – Peripheral devices – Part 6: Granulate Drying Devices

OPC UA for Robotics – Part 1 : Vertical Integration

A new study shows: The targeted use of Generative Artificial Intelligence can increase the profit margin in mechanical and plant engineering by up to 10.7 percentage points. This corresponds to an additional profit of 28 billion euros.

Cutting Tool Exchange format (CTE) – Part 1: Basics and definitions

OPC UA interfaces for plastics and rubber machinery – Peripheral devices – Part 3: LSR Dosing Systems

Together for Unified, Global Standards – An Insight into the Structure and Working Methods of the New Working Group for Interface Standardization in Battery Cell Manufacturing.

Data Spaces enable secure data exchange and unlock untapped potential. Hannover Messe 2025 offers the ideal platform to present the current state of the industry.

The Technical Documentation Working Group makes the technical articles available here.

Ensure safety and interoperability

Imparting technical knowledge – Experts advise you individually

Study by the IMPULS Foundation for Engineering Education for Industry 4.0 develops the first target profile for engineers in industry 4.0 Appeal to universities: Making teaching more interdisciplinary New competencies: Computer Science, Data Science and Data Security

Digitalization is driving the mechanical and plant engineering industry forward. This innovative strength is also reflected in the theses submitted by graduates from Germany and Austria.

Industry expects a 16% drop in sales; companies must implement the Cyber Resilience Act; VDMA's Manufacturing-X report

With the Call for Papers, HANNOVER MESSE is addressing all exhibitors and partners who would like to enrich the content of the forum program at the world's most important industrial trade fair with their contributions.

Growth and cutting-edge technological solutions characterize the world's leading trade fair for machine vision / Record number of exhibitors and strong increase in visitors in 2024

Together with members and partners, the trade association celebrated its 25th anniversary in Würzburg. One thing became particularly clear: the trade association and its topics are playing an increasingly important role in the industry.

The EU Data Act regulates data traffic between companies with far-reaching consequences. With the new Quick Guide, the VDMA focuses on technical requirements using the example of the OPC UA standard with Companion Specifications.

With the establishment of the VDMA Forum Manufacturing-X, the VDMA is bundling and coordinating all activities on this topic for its member companies and stakeholders.

SMARTENANCE aims to harmonize data spaces across different sectors, modernize IoT platforms, demonstrate the performance of multilateral digital value chains and support data space participation.

On the occasion of the Mechanical Engineering Summit 2023, Produktion magazine asked Hartmut Rauen about Manufacturing-X. In the interview, the Deputy Managing Director of the VDMA explains what it is all about.

Data is the blood of the complex organism of product development. The results report "Digital Product Development" by the WZL of RWTH Aachen University and the VDMA compactly shows how the many pieces of information can be effectively linked.

The new portable demonstrator depicts platform-independent interoperability by implementing OPC UA Companion Specifications.

With the availability of frequencies in the 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz bands, the industry holds the key to exploiting the full potential of 5G.

Our publications deal with various aspects of digitalization in mechanical engineering companies as well as cybersecurity and information security and serve as recommendations for action.

The trade association started the development of Companion Specifications in the field of textile machinery in 2019. As the first project, the Compainon Specfication "OPC UA for Fibre & Yarn Testing Devices" has now been published as a Release Candidate.

An unparalleled concentration of expertise - that's what the world's largest presentation forum for machine vision stands for. At the Industrial VISION Day you will find out about the latestes cutting-edge developments in the machine vision industry.

Industry 4.0 and digitalisation are primarily associated with networked production and the associated new business models, a high degree of automation and a multitude of possible applications. This requires interoperability between a wide range of machines, components and systems and the provision of all relevant data.

The guide supports small and medium-sized machine manufacturers in particular in the profitable in-house utilization of machine data. The focus is on collaboration in the value chain.

OPC UA for Tightening Systems - Part 1: Asset Management, Results and Basic Events

We talked to Sebastian Betzin from generic.de and Wolfram Schäfer from iT Engineering Software Innovations about the topic of software quality and clean code.

OPC UA for Weihenstephan Standards

Digitization & Industry 4.0: Explore the services offered by VDMA and its Food Processing Machinery and Packaging Machinery Association as well as other important initiatives and research projects.

On 16 and 17 December, the VDW will ignite the next stage for umati - the universal machine technology interface. "This is about nothing less than proving that the open connection of machines through such standards succeeds. Participants will now be able to experience live and up close how data from different machines flow together," says Dr. Alexander Broos, umati project manager and head of research and technology at the VDW.

Big Data, Smart Factory, Communication, Individualization, Remote Technologies, Virtualization, Industrial Security, Smart Service - Here we explain what you always wanted to know about the Internet of Things.

The success of Industry 4.0 depends on the reform of the German law on general terms and conditions.

The guide "Successfully marketing digital offerings" presents four success models of digital service types: the integral product improvement, the complementary service, the digital intermediary and the digital innovation. They make it easier for VDMA members to classify their own digital services.

Interoperability is a key pillar of efficient digital transformation and the long-term positioning of every company in the global market. Stay up to date with our newsletter.

More than 28,000 volunteers developed solutions to Covid-19 challenges in 48 h at the federal government's virtual hackathon - and these are also relevant to mechanical engineering.

The collection "Industrie 4.0 Research at German Research Institutes" offers VDMA members an overview of the German research landscape in this field. In the 2019 edition, around 40 universities and institutes present their current projects.

The working group "Research I40 and AI" aims to initiate cross-industry research projects on Industry 4.0 and AI. Interested member companies can participate in the topics.

The Industrial Collective Research (IGF) represents a unique innovation platform for small and medium-sized enterprises. As an open-topic and industry-driven program, IGF is an important component in pre-competitive research for mechanical and plant engineering.

In July 2019, the Air Pollution Control department began developing a Companion Specification for "process air extraction and filtration systems". The aim is to develop a standardized interface for data exchange between process air extraction and filtration systems with each other, with upstream machines, with supporting systems or with higher-level production systems in a manufacturer- and platform-independent communication network.

Virtual commissioning is becoming increasingly important as a practical part of digitization in mechanical and plant engineering across all branches of industry. The guide "Virtual Commissioning" provides a cost-benefit analysis and methodical instructions for action to enable an efficient start.

The Industrial Collective Research (IGF) represents a unique innovation platform for small and medium-sized enterprises. As an open-topic and industry-driven programme, IGF is an important building block in pre-competitive research for mechanical and plant engineering.

The activities of the professional associations pump systems as well as compressors, compressed air and vacuum technology are now on their way as official working groups of the OPC Foundation.

The guide "Self-learning Production Processes - Implementation Strategy for Reinforcement Learning in Industrial Practice" introduces the topic of Machine Learning and shows step by step how an implementation of industrial Reinforcement Learning can be carried out in one's own company. Application examples illustrate the procedure.

The "Intelligent and self-learning production processes" project investigated how machines can teach themselves optimal processes independently and through interaction with the environment using little data. The ML method "reinforcement learning" was used for this and tested on two applications.

Use cases for the guide - a practice-oriented tool for 5G applications (as of 2020 - current to date).

Analysis of 1700 questionnaires shows deficits in specialist knowledge about industry 4.0 Universities must develop curricula for industry 4.0 Employees must be prepared for digital change through further training strategies

After the kick-off in 2019, two meetings and several webcons of the working group on compressed air technology were held in 2020 - with the support of Prof. Müller and his team from the Technical University of Cologne.

The OPC UA Working Group Compressed Air Systems, active since the beginning of 2019, has developed a specification on Main Control Systems/Compressed Air Systems. A scientific project with the TH Cologne supported this effort.

An important basis for the successful introduction of Industry 4.0 is the manufacturer-independent exchange of data in production. The open interface standard OPC UA is increasingly established for this purpose. The VDMA guideline shows how companies can successfully introduce industry 4.0 communication with OPC UA.

New VDMA guideline now available

At the 5th VDMA Future Business Summit, around 60 participants from industry and research discussed the opportunities offered by a digitized recycling economy for mechanical engineering and heard what is already possible today.

At ITMA ASIA 2024, VDMA Textile Machinery examined offers and exhibits from Chinese exhibitors on the topics of recycling, automation and intelligent manufacturing / Industry 4.0.

Consumer products usually consist of many individual parts assembled together to form a product. IAS ensure that products remain affordable and meet the high-quality demands of the customers, there is the AS. Automation in production is an important pillar of our economic success.

Merging Industrie 4.0 and Lean Management offers great potential for successfully developing companies. The VDMA Guideline is intended to support companies.

Together with the members of the WS industrial working group, the Association supports the development and upkeep of the Weihenstephan Standards.

The VDMA is building a bridge between mechanical engineering and start-ups and has introduced a new event format for this purpose: the hackathon.