Industry 4.0 Centre of the Silesian University of Technology in the international group Manufacturing-X at Hannover Messe 2026
The Industry 4.0 Centre of the Silesian University of Technology actively participated in this year's Hannover Fair. It is one of the largest and most important global events devoted to industrial technologies, automation, machinery, energy and industrial transformation. The Fair took place from the 20th to the 24th of April.
One of the key topics of this year’s edition was the creation of open and secure data exchange ecosystems in the manufacturing sector, developed under the slogan: “Manufacturing-X”. The designation “X” refers to the word “exchange”, emphasizing the importance of data exchange in modern production networks.
Manufacturing-X is a global initiative involving leading technology providers, research centres and organizations supporting industrial transformation. National initiatives related to Manufacturing-X cooperate within the International Manufacturing-X Council, which is formed by representatives of Germany, Spain, Austria, France, Italy, and other countries such as the USA, Canada, Japan, Korea, Australia and Greece – says Dr Andrzej Soldaty, Director of the Industry 4.0 Centre. of the Silesian University of Technology.
The Industry 4.0 Centre of the Silesian University of Technology actively participates in the Manufacturing-X initiative, cooperating with the International Manufacturing-X Council and popularizing this concept among the stakeholders of the transformation of the Polish industry. The current state of development of Manufacturing-X, implementation practices, experience of national initiatives and further directions of activities were the subject of a discussion panel, which took place on the 22nd of April at one of the fair stages.
The panel was attended by invited representatives of Manufacturing-X initiatives from Germany, USA, Korea, Japan, France, Austria, Canada and Poland. The Polish side was represented by Andrzej Soldaty, Director of the Industry 4.0 Centre of the Silesian University of Technology, who was one of eight panellists. The participation of a The Industry 4.0 Centre representative in this international group is an important signal of appreciation for the Centre’s activity so far as the Manufacturing-X initiative is concerned
- Participation in the development, implementation and presentation of the Demonstrator of the Manufacturing-X Concept, presented at the stand of the International Manufacturing-X Council was also an important accent showing the commitment of the Polish side in the development of modern directions of industrial transformation. The Demonstrator was implemented as a joint venture of partners from 15 countries. One of them was the company Explitia from Piekary Śląskie – partner of the Industry 4.0 Centre of the Silesian University of Technology – says Dr Eng. Damian Krenczyk, Prof. SUT, Deputy Director of the Industry 4.0 Centre.
The Demonstrator presented the actual functioning of the industrial digital value-generating network in relation to the life cycle of automotive batteries. Each of the partners participating in the project was responsible for the digital representation of the product at the selected stage, based on real-time data, calculation of the required indicators, including carbon footprint and sharing data in a standardized way with other participants.
The aim of the Demonstrator was to present innovative solutions enabling the sovereign and safe sharing of production data between participants in industrial ecosystems. A particularly important example was the automatic generation of a Digital Product Passport for a single car battery based on real-time data from the entire product life cycle. This is a concrete proposal of value for companies involved in the production, use and recycling of car batteries, because next year there is an obligation to provide individual Digital Passports for these products – emphasizes Dr Andrzej Soldaty, director of the Industry 4.0 Centre. of the Silesian University of Technology.
- The presentations of the Manufacturing-X Demonstrator met with great interest. The stand was visited by both individual participants of the fair, as well as official delegations from various countries and representatives of the management of the German Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection – adds Dr Eng. Damian Krenczyk, Prof. SUT, Deputy Director of the Industry 4.0 Centre.
During the fair there were also meetings on the development of the Manufacturing-X initiative in individual countries. In the meeting with the participation of representatives of the German Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection and the International Manufacturing-X Council, the initiative developed in Poland was represented by Andrzej Soldaty, Director of the Industry 4.0 Centre of the Silesian University of Technology and Adrian Stelmach, President of Explitia.
The participation of the Silesian University of Technology Industry 4.0 Centre in events related to Manufacturing-X during the Hannover Fair confirms the active presence of Industry 4.0 Centre in the international debate on the future of industry. The popularization of the Manufacturing-X concept in the domestic manufacturing sector may become an important lever for strengthening the position of Polish companies in international value chains, building resilience to disruptions and adapting to international standards.
