Bridging the Gap Between IDS and Industry 4.0 - Lessons Learned and Recommendations for the Future

The Plattform Industrie 4.0 (PI4.0) and the International Data Spaces Association (IDSA) are two independent, parallel initiatives with clear focuses. While PI4.0 addresses communication and interaction between networked assets in a smart factory and/or supply chain across an asset or product lifecycle, IDSA is about a secure, sovereign system of data sharing in which all stakeholders can realize the full value of their data.
Since data sharing between companies requires both interoperability and data sovereignty, the question emerges regarding the feasibility and rationality of integrating the expertise of PI4.0 and IDSA. The IDS-Industrial Community (IDS-I) is an extension of IDSA whose goal is to strengthen the cooperation between IDSA and PI4.0. Two fields of expertise could be combined: The Platform's know-how in the area of Industrie 4.0 (I4.0) and the IDSA's expertise in the areas of data sharing ecosystems and data sovereignty.
In order to realize this vision, many aspects have to be taken into account, as there are discrepancies on multiple levels. Specifically, at the reference architecture level, we have the RAMI4.0 model on the PI4.0 side and the IDS Reference Architecture Model (IDS-RAM) on the IDSA side. While the existing I4.0 and IDS specifications are incompatible e.g. in terms of models (i.e., the AAS metamodel and the IDS information model) and APIs, there is also the issue of interoperability between I4.0 and IDS solutions.
This position paper aims to bridge the gap between IDS and PI4.0 by not only analyzing how their existing concepts, tools, etc. have been "connected" in different contexts. Rather, this position paper makes recommendations on how different technologies could be combined in a generic way, independent of the concrete implementation of IDS and/or I4.0 relevant technology components.
This paper could be used by both the IDS and I4.0 communities to further improve their specifications, which are still under development. The lessons learned and feedback from the initial joint use of technology components from both areas could provide concrete guidance on necessary improvements that could further strengthen or extend the specifications. Furthermore, it could help to promote the IDS architecture and specifications in the industrial production and smart manufacturing community and extend typical PI4.0 use cases to include data sovereignty by incorporating IDS aspects.