Germany is lagging behind internationally in terms of digitalization, innovation rate and productivity. In order to remain competitive, operational effectiveness and efficiency must be increased. Internal measures have largely been exhausted, while cross-company data exchange along the value chain offers enormous potential. Although factory equipment suppliers and operators are prepared to invest in data consistency and process digitization, there are still various challenges that Railway-X addresses. One example of this is the often prevailing decoupling of the costs and benefits of data consistency as well as the complex definition and maintenance of interoperability along the value chain. Comprehensive data ecosystems for data exchange are still rare. Railway-X aims to build such ecosystems in the rail industry to enable a circular economy and new interoperable, data-driven business models. The aim is to increase efficiency, reduce costs and open up new business potential.
Railway-X strengthens the competitiveness, sustainability and resilience of the European rail industry. A compatible, interoperable data space serves as a platform for services, software applications, connectors and basic services to enable secure and efficient data exchange along the entire value chain. Proven technologies from Catena-X and Industry 4.0, among others, are transferred to the rail industry. New data-driven solutions and services for manufacturers, suppliers, operators, maintenance companies and dismantling facilities promote innovative approaches such as the circular economy (R strategies such as reuse) or “Everything-as-a-Service”. The results increase competitiveness, reduce costs, optimize processes and open up new business opportunities and enable automated and harmonized PCF calculation.