How to relaunch the Italian industrial system

MindSphere World, an international association promoting IoT and the Cloud for industry, held a press conference on October 28th in which it confirmed the need to promote a digital strategy capable of supporting companies in the development of Industry 4.0. The focus of the association’s activity is the MindSphere platform, a dedicated solution for industry which enables the processing of data to turn them into services.

MindSphere World, the international association promoting IoT and Cloud for industry, during the press conference held on October 28th in a double version, physical and via live streaming from Milan’s Polytechnic, confirmed the need to promote a digital strategy capable of supporting companies with high value solutions for the optimisation and development of Industry 4.0, now oriented towards the adoption of open platforms for true competitiveness on a global scale.

The PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) was the primary inspiration for the day’s reflections: the document specifies the allocation of 23.89 billion euro for the technological innovation of the Italian production system with the need for an acceleration of digitisation, in order to relaunch the country’s system. An awareness underlying MindSphere World, which as early as 2018 adopted an open system based on IoT and Cloud computing technology, and then translated its adherence to this standard into a successful business model. Besides, the Transition 4.0 Plan, worth around 14 billion euro, at least 10% of which is destined to encourage the purchase of innovative intangible assets such as cloud computing and big data analytics services, further reinforces this strategic vision.

The focus of the association’s activity is the MindSphere platform: a dedicated solution for industry integrating IoT, Industrial Edge, Cloud computing and software development with low-code tools, enabling the strategic processing of data to turn them into services, the use of a single connectivity for a multitude of machines and devices from independent vendors, facilitated management access through a single interface and a marketplace where all contributors can sell their data and digital solutions. Not only that, the advantage of MindSphere World is the creation of a true ecosystem around the platform which goes beyond the definition of an open tech architecture and mere commercial agreements, and creates a community with rules of collaboration and engagement to guarantee a competitive and high quality business.

Working as a team around an industrial platform

The power of many, this is the principle of MindSphere World, and it is demonstrated by the ever-increasing number of members who have now recognised the potential of the ecosystem: with 7 offices and 170 associates globally, it has 36 members in Italy. The presence of the machine tool sector, which has always been one of the most innovative, is important, with more than 30 leading companies in the sector associated between Italy and Germany. MindSphere World supports SMEs and start-ups which, over the past three years, have been able to emerge and compete with larger players at an international level, precisely because joining an ecosystem has enabled them to perform better. The support of an association which guarantees processes and a competitive business model has placed them at the same level of reliability as the big players. This, in consideration of the multitude of small and medium enterprises in our country, is a strategic advantage necessary for the relaunch of the Italian system on the international market.

MindSphere World, by “ working as a team” around an industrial platform, responds to a key market need: today joining an ecosystem is a necessary and essential characteristic for companies wishing to access and compete on an international level, and which would otherwise remain cut off from these dynamics. 

“ In order to respond to the needs of relaunching the country system,” Giuliano Busetto, President of MindSphere World, stated, “it is necessary to structure strategic support for digital transactions and an innovative business model. The ecosystem is precisely the MindSphere World solution which responds to this need”. Andrea Gozzi, Secretary General of the association, added: “We must be aware that it is not important today to have the best technology if there is no ecosystem to support it. The winning answer implies promoting a technology linked to the community”.

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In Italy,” Alfredo Mariotti, Secretary General of the UCIMU Foundation, stated, “the digital factory has had and is having a great momentum, thanks to tax measures and precisely to the availability of cloud solutions accessible to SMEs”. The approach of MFL X, the digital division of MFL GROUP, is a testimonial of this; Andrés Cartagena Ruiz, Head of MFL X – MindSphere World partner, described their experience by stating: “Our start-up is a virtuous example of innovative business. In less than two years, the team has managed to close more than 35 Industrial IoT as a Service contracts!”.

Looking forward with confidence to the future and the potential of the topics discussed during the press conference, Andrea Sianesi, President of Fondazione Politecnico di Milano, concluded: “The future of industry is increasingly linked to digital, which opens endless doors to innovation, in its various technological and commercial aspects. It is a gigantic and fascinating challenge, and the roles of research, training and business-university collaboration are essential in order to win it. As Fondazione Politecnico di Milano, we are committed to encouraging the growth of joint initiatives which can multiply the diffusion of ecosystems such as MindSphere World, because they unfold their full potential when the number of users who know them, know how to use them and exploit them increases”.