Why the German automotive industry needs a data ecosystem
Many of the growing challenges in the automotive industry can no longer be tackled by individual companies alone in the future. The leading companies in the German automotive industry agree on this. The totality of the data along the value chain is simply missing. For instance, calculating the carbon footprint of a product requires standardized calculation methods and available data along the entire supply chain. Catena-X was created as a solution. The aim is to digitalize the value chains and pass on data from business partner to business partner. Catena-X creates the standards for secure, trustworthy, sovereign and interoperable data exchange.
Technical integration in Catena-X
In discussions with interested companies, we are often asked the question: How do I technically connect to the Catena-X data ecosystem?
Catena-X provides “enablement services” for technical integration into the data space. The core component among the enablement services is the Eclipse Dataspace Connector (EDC). This software is a participant's interface to the data space and handles data exchange between two partners.
Getting to know the EDC
The exchange in the Catena-X community shows that companies have hardly any experience in dealing with the EDC. To help small and medium-sized companies in particular overcome the hurdle of dealing with the EDC, the Catena-X consortium partner DLR (Deutsches Institut für Luft- und Raumfahrt - German Aerospace Institute) has launched the “Lead User Integration” project, in which interested companies are introduced to the EDC. We at msg provide support with business and technical consulting. We explain the theoretical basics of the EDC and also offer practical hands-on sessions in which we set up and test an EDC together with the companies. Through this exchange, we learn about the challenges that companies face and at the same time the companies receive support with their first steps
