Name of participant: Jana Heinrich
Project’s name: Virtual Factories for Digital Supply Chains (ViFaNet)
Project description:
In the course of digital transformation, manufacturing companies are facing more and more challenges: global integration of markets, geopolitical uncertainties, and an increasing complexity of supply chains require new, resilient, and flexible approaches. In the platform economy, it is essential to integrate as many involved actors as possible into a digital network to achieve economies of scale and real additional value. Especially, smaller companies within the value chain often face high barriers to market access, but larger companies also face internal challenges with regard to standardised data exchange. This is precisely where ViFaNet comes in: the development of a holistic data model that enables low-threshold integration of companies into digital value-added networks – so-called virtual factories.
The aim is an easier access to digital, industrial data spaces for companies. Based on standardised asset administration shell submodels, as defined by the Industrial Digital Twin Association, an interoperable data model is to be designed and implemented. Particular attention is also being turned to reducing access barriers. The project will also investigate how new technologies, such as large language models, can be used to simplify or support the creation of digital twins and thus accelerate the onboarding process.
Software Campus Partner: Fraunhofer ICT Group and Volkswagen AG
Implementation period: 01.03.2025 – 28.02.2027