Information Exchange Architecture for Collaborative Industrial Ecosystem

Due to the networked nature of modern industrial business, repeated information exchange activities are necessary. Unfortunately, information exchange is both laborious and expensive with the current communication media, which causes errors and delays. To increase the efficiency of communication, this study introduces an architecture to exchange information in a digitally processable manner in industrial ecosystems. The architecture builds upon commonly agreed business practices and data formats, and an open consortium and information mediators enable it. Following the architecture, a functional prototype has been implemented for a real industrial scenario. This study has its focus on the technical information of equipment, but the architecture concept can also be applied in financing and logistics. Therefore, the concept has potential to completely reform industrial communication.