ICNAP Report 2024

The year 2024 is marked by transition and continuity. Reflecting on community activities, we have experienced a successful year filled with insightful research and numerous gatherings. We take particular pride in having introduced new members to our fold, enhancing our collective journey towards interconnected and flexible production. The Fraunhofer Institutes ILT, IPT, and IME in Aachen form the ICNAP Network, combining expertise in digitalization and Industry 4.0 with advanced infrastructure. The network features the Fraunhofer Edge Cloud, the Smart Manufacturing Network, over 2000 systems and machines for R&D in various technologies, and more than 28,500 m² of lab and hall space across the three institutes. Additionally, they access the 5G Industry Campus Europe, which includes indoor 5G networks and an extensive 5G network on the RWTH Aachen Campus. This report offers a succinct recap of findings from five research projects that were voted on and conducted. The study titled “Zero Trust Architectures for Interconnected Industry” delivers in-depth knowledge about the protection of intercon­nected industrial systems. Moving on with our commitment to practical applications, “The Digital Twin Demonstrator – Bringing the Concept to Life” provides a tangible hardware and software demo that our associates can employ to gain practical insights for their individual use cases. The research “Seamless AI Integration through Plug&Produce Approach” strives to simplify the process for embedding and operationalizing AI in production machinery. In the same vein, “AI Every­where - Generative AI for Production and Business Operations” investigates the wide-ranging impact of generative AI in both production and corporate settings. Lastly, “Towards a Dark Factory - Leveraging Multidimensional Twins in a Manufacturing Metaverse” discusses the use of comprehensive digital twins within a fully automated and self-sufficient manufacturing context. Unlike prior reports, this document includes not just the outcomes of recent studies but also outlines ongoing initiatives in the ICNAP continuous working groups. The year 2024 focused on “Data-driven sustainability” and “Intelligent Sensing and Communication” as key themes. Through collaborative sessions in our community, we have crafted roadmaps for addressing these areas within ICNAP’s framework. I am honored to share that I have been appointed as Senior Executive Vice President for Research and Transfer, transition­ing to the Executive Board of Fraunhofer in 2025. I eagerly anticipate embracing the new responsibilities and am committed to leveraging my international experience to propel innovation and further critical research and technology transfer initiatives at Fraunhofer. Consequently, 2024 will be my last year serving on the ICNAP steering board, a position that has been both gratifying and pleasurable. As I move into my new role, I am confident in the team’s ongoing excellence. I want to express my deep appre­ciation to the dedicated teams deeply passionate about the research and development at ICNAP, those who work with our clients and customers, and the team that manages and orga­nizes ICNAP’s daily operations, including the compilation and editing of this report. I am confident that their excellent work will be upheld in the future.