Working hand in hand with 18 partner companies, Siemens AG is founding "MindSphere World", a worldwide user organization for the cloud-based open IoT operating system MindSphere. Its aim is to expand the global reach of the ecosystem based on MindSphere. The organization is also designed to afford support to its individual members in developing and improving IoT solutions on the MindSphere platform and in tapping new markets in the digital economy. This will include suggestions about the requirements placed on the IoT operating system MindSphere by the industry and recommendations on setting out uniform rules for data utilization. Another role of the organization will be to promote science, research, and teaching in the MindSphere environment.

"The foundation of MindSphere World represents another major step forward in promoting the ecosystem surrounding MindSphere as an open IoT platform. The broad-based expertise and the offering of all the MindSphere World partners will open up totally new digitalization potential for users everywhere," said Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG Klaus Helmrich.

Jan Mrosik, Chair of the Management Board of MindSphere World and CEO of the Siemens Digital Factory Division, added: "By bringing together a worldwide community comprising industrial and IT companies of all sizes from all sectors of industry as well as startups, we aim to establish and drive forward an ecosystem based on MindSphere. With this end in mind, the Association members are joining to form MindSphere World - initially in Germany and then extending out into the international arena.

"The members of the organization meet in committees to deal with issues such as the requirements placed on MindSphere by industry, data governance concepts and the Association's PR work. "MindSphere's open structure offers a wide range of benefits for us as users, in particular due to the manufacturer-independent link-up of machines and plants and also when it comes to the development of apps. Within the framework of MindSphere World, we can now also talk to other users about ways in which disruptive technologies are changing the face of the economy in general, and about the resulting business potential which could be utilized for IoT-based solutions," said Bruno Geiger, Member of the Management Board of MindSphere World and COO/CTO of Eisenmann.

"Because the development of standards plays a decisive role when it comes to establishing a worldwide ecosystem, the members of MindSphere World will be working together to come up with recommendations for standards in relation to MindSphere-based apps. We'll also be drawing up suggested solutions for enabling interoperability between different MindSphere-based solutions," said Andreas Oroszi, Member of the Board of Management of MindSphere World and Senior Vice President Digital Business at Festo.

"As users, we're all facing similar challenges: These include data governance, in other words managing the accessibility, usability and processing of data, as well as app architecture, and the homogeneous use of MindSphere components. From now on, we'll be able to play a role in shaping these developments and putting forward the specific expectations we place in MindSphere," said Michael Haag, Member of the Advisory Board of MindSphere World and Senior Vice President R&D at Kuka.

The founder members of "MindSphere World" alongside Siemens AG included

ASM Assembly Systems GmbH & Co. KG

Chiron Group SE

Eisenmann SE

Festo AG & Co. KG

Gebr. Heller Maschinenfabrik GmbH

Grob-Werke GmbH & Co. KG

Heitec AG

Index-Werke GmbH & Co. KG.

J. Schmalz GmbH

Kampf Schneid- und Wickeltechnik GmbH & Co. KG

Kolbus GmbH & Co. KG

Kuka Aktiengesellschaft

FFG Europe & Americas (MAG IAS GmbH)

Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud. Baader GmbH + Co. KG

Rittal GmbH & Co. KG

Sick AG

Trumpf Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH + Co. KG

Michael Weinig AG

The inaugural meeting of MindSphere World took place in the recently opened innovative development and work environment "MindSphere OpenSpace", a part of the new branch of Factory Berlin. Over an office space of more than 13,000 square meters, Factory Berlin - an initiative supported by the German Government, Siemens and other companies - brings established technology companies together with developers and startups. The key focus of the new startup campus is the Internet of Things. On the threshold of the age of digitalization, the "MindSphere OpenSpace" creates ideal conditions for the MindSphere World members and other users such as startups to drive forward the development of apps and digital services and to tap whole new markets.