Data room laboratory opened for the energy industry

28.01.2025

Source: E & M powernews

Fraunhofer IOSB-AST has opened a data room laboratory that offers companies in the energy industry innovative solutions for data exchange and new business models.

The challenges facing the energy industry are growing. Decentralized generation plants, the transformation of the heating and mobility sectors and increasing competitive pressure require new strategies for handling data. Data rooms based on the European Gaia-X standard offer a possible solution here. They facilitate the exchange of data between companies and create a basis for automated processes and new data-based business models.

Gaia-X is a European initiative to develop a secure, trustworthy and federated data infrastructure. The aim is to enable companies and institutions in Europe to handle data confidently and thus create an alternative to large, centralized cloud service providers from the USA or China.

The Fraunhofer Institute of Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation - IOSB-AST for short - has set up a data room laboratory in this context. This is intended to make it easier for companies in the energy sector to access data room technologies. According to the company, the focus is on applications along the energy industry value chain.

What the data room lab offers

Specifically, the data room lab offers practice-oriented workshops, advice and support in the development of individual use cases. A central component of the offer is the "Minimal Viable Dataspace" (MVD), which can be used for forecasts, the exchange of data between digital twins or for anonymization procedures. There is also an "Experimental Data Space" where companies can test their own applications.

Fraunhofer IOSB-AST's expertise is based on research projects such as "energy data-X", "Factory-X" and "Enershare". As the scientists emphasize, this makes it possible to provide sound support for the implementation and operation of data rooms.

Presentation of the laboratory in Essen

Fraunhofer will be represented at E-world in Essen from February 11 to 13, 2025. Visitors to the Eviden Germany software company stand (Hall 3 / E131) will be able to find out more about what the lab has to offer. Application examples and possibilities for integrating data room technologies into energy industry processes will be presented.

Author: Davina Spohn