At the start of the Hannover Messe, Henrik A. Schunk, a member of SCHUNK Management, took over as Chairman of the steering committee of the Industrie 4.0 Plattform, succeeding Dr. Frank Possel-Dölken, CDO of Phoenix Contact. He has set himself a clear focus for his two-year term of office. He wants to take the Manufacturing-X initiative to a broader audience while also bringing in the perspective of small and medium-sized industrial companies. "We have to translate our vision into viable solutions in which small and medium-sized companies can also participate on an equal footing," emphasized Schunk, who sees his family-owned company as a prime example. "As a pioneer in the SME market, we're showing how digitalization can help you gain a competitive advantage through openness and partnership."
Manufacturing-X was initiated by the Industrie 4.0 Plattform. The initiative pursues the goal of a superior data space that digitally networks German and European industry. The aim is to make value chains more transparent, resilient and sustainable, thereby enabling new, digital business models. Henrik A. Schunk is pushing this initiative forward with enthusiasm. "With Manufacturing-X, we can exchange data across industries, raising digitalization to a new level." This requires the expertise and active involvement of small and medium-sized businesses – two qualities that SCHUNK brings to the table and aims to use for the platform. "I will work to make Manufacturing-X tangible for small and medium-sized businesses."
The Industrie 4.0 Plattform is the central digitalization network in Germany. Representatives from the political sphere, business, science, trade unions and associations are actively involved in the platform with the aim of advancing the digital transformation of production in Germany. The common goal is to secure the leading position of German and European industry in the long term.