Interoperability and Knowledge Management

European manufacturers are under pressure to innovate faster, reduce emissions, and stay globally competitive. Yet many still struggle with fragmented data landscapes, legacy systems, and isolated modelling tools that do not talk to each other. Valuable materials data and process knowledge are often locked away in separate departments or formats, making integration across the value chain slow and inefficient.

At the same time, the rise of AI and large language models opens new possibilities for automation, prediction, and decision support, but only if the underlying data is accessible, structured, and interoperable. Without a solid foundation for data and knowledge management, even the most powerful AI cannot deliver real value.

Overcoming these barriers is no longer optional. It is a critical step toward building smarter, more resilient manufacturing ecosystems in Europe.

Why it matters

In today’s manufacturing and materials engineering landscape, advancing product innovation requires seamless collaboration among researchers and engineers across multiple disciplines. However, this process is often hindered by fragmented data sources, incompatible modelling tools, and isolated knowledge silos. Companies face challenges integrating diverse simulation models that range from electronic and atomic to mesoscopic and continuum scales. Moreover, the lack of unified platforms slows down the adoption of advanced materials modelling, complicates access to experimental data, and limits the sharing of expertise and training resources. This fragmentation increases time-to-market, reduces efficiency in materials design and process optimization, and creates barriers for industries aiming to innovate and remain competitive.

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Project Example: MarketPlace

The MarketPlace EU-project addresses key industry challenges by developing an open, web-based integrated platform designed to unify materials modelling and collaboration efforts across Europe. Acting as a central hub and marketplace, MarketPlace connects researchers, engineers, and industry stakeholders by providing seamless access to models, simulation tools, databases, communities, training materials, and knowledge-sharing resources.

By integrating interoperable workflows that link various discrete and continuum models, the platform enables efficient data exchange and coupling across different scales and simulation approaches. MarketPlace also federates databases of material models and experimental data, supporting the development of open interfaces and simulation platforms. This comprehensive environment accelerates the uptake of materials modelling in industry, helping reduce innovation barriers and enhance competitiveness.

Coordinated by Team Materials Informatics of Fraunhofer IWM, the project combines process chain simulations with the platform’s interoperability features to demonstrate practical applications, such as additive manufacturing. The capabilities have empowered Fraunhofer IWM and its clients by replacing time-consuming software installations with immediate, web-based access to modelling tools, streamlining material development workflows, and enabling faster innovation cycles. Additionally, the platform supports secure on-premise deployments and licensing of proprietary tools, facilitating advanced predictive capabilities like component lifetime estimation, digital twins, and rapid material characterization. This holistic approach allows industry players to adopt materials modelling more flexibly, efficiently, and securely, thus fostering accelerated industrial innovation.

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Related services

• Ecosystems
• Ontologies

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