Data Storage Policy

Objectives of the Subproject

For the collaborative use of data across various Asset Administration Shells, a secure and reliable infrastructure is necessary. This includes all company-specific data sources involved in the wire harness value chain. The primary goal of this subproject is to prepare and implement the integration with Catena-X as extensively as possible. Solutions arising from Catena-X will be comprehensively utilized. While Catena-X is still under development, it represents a key technology for the VWS4LS project. The plan is to have the first Catena-X standard available by March.

Work Focus

In SP 8, the overall focus is on identifying data locations, ensuring security, and exploring ways to utilize data spaces. The integration with Catena-X is of great importance because it is one of the first applications of GAIA-X, a collaborative European project aimed at secure and trustworthy data spaces. Catena-X is driven by the automotive industry. The joint vision of Catena-X and the VWS4LS project is to provide shared Digital Twins in a Gaia-X-compliant cloud, allowing stakeholders along the value chains to collaborate while maintaining their data sovereignty. The fundamental functionalities for secure data exchange described by Catena-X do not need to be developed again within the VWS4LS project.

SP 8 consists of three work packages. It starts with the technical requirement analysis, which outlines the general requirements regarding data usage and management in the context of the wire harness. This analysis will rely on higher-level requirement analyses from the Plattform Industrie 4.0. Furthermore, these general requirements should be related to existing data storage formats in the wire harness domain, such as KBL and VEC.

The second work package focuses on exploring technical implementation concepts and target architectures to enable interoperable data usage with different storage structures, such as Edge or Cloud.

The third work package will develop technical transformation paths towards Catena-X in collaboration with stakeholders from Catena-X. A roadmap will be created for this purpose.

Work Status

SP 8 is still in the preparatory "listening mode" before the official project start in mid-2023. Nonetheless, potential synergies with SP 2 and SP 7 are already being explored.

Next Steps

In mid-2023, the development of the integration concept with Catena-X will begin. Concurrently, the documentation of requirements is initiated and expected to be completed by February 2024. Work on the implementation concept starts in February 2024 and aims to be completed by the end of 2024. Two subcontractors, the IOTA Foundation (who have already contributed to Gaia-X) and the Fraunhofer Institute IESE (who will provide results within SP 3), will be assigned for specific tasks.

Expected Results

The definition of necessary higher-level requirements, the implementation concept, and statements regarding the target architecture will be available. An integration concept with Catena-X, aligned with the VWS4LS partners, will be developed following a reference roadmap.