With 300 participants, almost half of the consortium was present. BMWK and the project management organization were highly satisfied with the successful interim results.

Impressive presentations of results and outstanding team spirit - these were the impressions of the Catena-X consortium's mid-term conference. After 18 labor-intensive months of project work, it was time to take stock: on March 22, 2023, the 28 consortium partners met in Munich with representatives of the BMWK, the project sponsor VDI Technologiezentrum and the board and management of the Catena-X Automotive Network e.V.

As a member of the Catena-X consortium from the very beginning, ARENA2036 has actively supported the realization of an open data ecosystem for networking the automotive industry.

The transfer of work results from the Catena-X consortium makes a significant contribution here. Only when development results are communicated and disseminated - for example through events, websites or videos - can they be adopted and used in practice. This is a basic prerequisite for attracting partners and establishing the data ecosystem in the long term. Georg Schnauffer, Research Coordinator of ARENA2036, and Andreas Kottmann (BMW Group) presented the concept and results of these transfer and communication activities to the 300 participants at the milestone conference.

One particular highlight was a live demonstration of the software using a "customer journey" on stage: the user's path from initial contact to connection and multi-stage data exchange for the traceability of quality-relevant components in the automotive value chain was shown. The added value resulting from the digital standardized exchange for the processes of the partners involved in Catena-X no longer remained mere theory, but became visible in real time. A presentation of results that could be shown thanks to the contribution of ARENA2036.

Ernst Stöckl-Pukall, head of the "Digitalization, Industry 4.0" department of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK), was also impressed by the results achieved and the motivation of those involved. In summary, the milestone not only provided an opportunity for a positive interim conclusion, but also formed a successful start to the second half of the project.

Further information on the mid-term conference can be found at Catena-X.net.