eco and the IndustryFusion Foundation have agreed on a far-reaching cooperation to promote the expansion of digital infrastructures and sovereign data spaces for industrial applications in Europe.
The focus is on the joint further development of open-source data spaces, edge/cloud infrastructures, and interoperable standards for Industry 4.0. The IndustryFusion-X Dataspace for Industry 4.0, the IF Register for Identification & Certification (IFRIC.org), and the ProcessDataTwin (PDT) provide key components that enable the implementation of GAIA-X principles in industrial scenarios. eco members contribute digital infrastructures – from 5G/6G connectivity on the shop floor to cloud-edge concepts and the use of data spaces for AI training.
“Open source is the key to digital sovereignty. Only open standards and transparent technologies prevent dependencies, enable interoperability, and make small and medium-sized enterprises fit for the future. With IndustryFusion, we are creating the framework conditions for Europe’s economy,” explains eco Managing Director Andreas Weiss.
This underlines how important openness and interoperability are for the competitiveness of small and medium-sized industrial companies. Only through common platforms and standards can companies securely exchange data, meet regulatory requirements, and implement new business models such as cloud manufacturing or the digital product passport.
“IndustryFusion contributes open, interoperable platform technology, while eco contributes its broad network in the Internet industry. Together, we are sending a clear signal for digital sovereignty and the competitiveness of European industry,” emphasises Igor Mikulina, President of the IndustryFusion Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
Goals of the cooperation
As part of the cooperation, the exchange of expertise in the areas of IoT, data spaces, and edge computing will be expanded. In the long term, eco and the IndustryFusion Foundation aim to establish resilient offerings for sovereign data spaces, thereby sustainably strengthening the competitiveness of European industry through cloud and AI infrastructures.
Various stakeholders will benefit from this cooperation: Industrial companies – especially small and medium-sized enterprises – will gain access to open, interoperable data spaces, support in implementing regulatory requirements such as the EU Data Act or the digital product passport, and a foundation for new digital business models. At the same time, eco members will expand their ecosystem to include industrial applications and will be able to contribute their expertise in a targeted manner. At the European level, too, the cooperation is providing important impetus for enabling digital sovereignty.
As next steps, the partners plan to further expand their cooperation within the IoT Competence Group and publish joint reports on data spaces and federated ecosystems in industry.
Invitation to the Industrial AI Open Source Summit
eco and the IndustryFusion Foundation will also present the next concrete steps of the cooperation at the Industrial AI Open Source Summit 2025. The international conference brings together experts from industry, the cloud economy, and the open-source community to present and further develop open, GAIA-X-compatible solutions for AI and Industry 4.0. The summit offers a platform to experience joint work on sovereign data spaces, interoperability, and digital models for the future in practice.
