ZEW Researchers Visit Industry 4.0 Demonstration Factory

On March 6, 2015, the research department "Information and Communication Technologies" (ICT) of the Centre for European Economic Research visited Wittenstein bastian GmbH (a subsidiary of Wittenstein AG) in Fellbach, Baden-Württemberg, to get an idea of how Industry 4.0 may work in practice.

In Fellbach, the producer of gearing technology and specialised gear heads runs a demonstration factory with the aim of gradually integrating the concepts of Industry 4.0. This can be considered a continuous practical test which fuses ICT with traditional production technologies in the manufacturing sector .

The ZEW researchers enjoyed a guided tour of the factory, during which they were able to get an idea of how far Industry 4.0 has been thus implemented. They then participated in two discussion rounds with the  leaders of Wittenstein’s future-orientated research into cyber-physical systems. The discussions focused on the opportunities and risks associated with implementing Industry 4.0 in the German economy.