On 27 November 2024, the final event of the DIONE-X research project, organised by the Institute of Production Management, Technology and Machine Tools (PTW), took place in the FlowFactory at TU Darmstadt. The aim of the project was to develop secure and powerful data spaces for the manufacturing industry that enable cross-company data exchange. The findings are expected to be used in follow-up projects such as Manufacturing-X.

DIONE-X: a possible data and service ecosystem

The most important finding of the DIONE-X project is that a Gaia-X-compliant data and service ecosystem can be created that ensures secure data exchange along the entire process chain. The partners developed data-driven business models in three use cases: from collaborative condition monitoring to individualised KPI dashboards. One key result is an IoT platform that supports both data download and compute-to-data (C2D) and includes an interface to Pontus-X.

Use cases and innovation

In the use case from the industrial project partner DMG Mori, sensor technology in the ball screw drive enables early wear detection. A live demo at the closing event showed data evaluation in real time. The use case from pro-micron and KWS Kölle focused on a KPI dashboard designed to facilitate machine operation, while the use case from Gühring presented optimised tool inserts with data-based services. Challenges such as the integration of cryptocurrencies and general user acceptance were identified.

Technological progress: homomorphic encryption

An important milestone was the development of methods for partial anonymisation and secure data evaluation, for example through homomorphic encryption. The Pontus-X platform has been enhanced with these functions in order to share data securely and fulfil data protection requirements at the same time.

Demonstration of optimisation through data exchange

The project's illustrative demonstrator showed the practical application of sensors that automatically stop machines in the event of potential damage. The data shared and then evaluated via Pontus-X can be used to optimise future applications.

Conclusion and outlook

DIONE-X has laid important foundations for data-driven business models and shows how data ecosystems can create monetary incentives. The results flow directly into projects such as Manufacturing-X and EuProGigant, which further advance the vision of networked, resilient production.