Digitalization and communication are the major topics at SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN (15 to 19 September 2025). One highlight will be the first presentation of the IF Digital Award, which will be jointly presented by the IndustryFusion Foundation (IFF), Messe Essen and the DVS – German Welding Society. Christina Kleinpaß, Head of Project of SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN, Igor Mikulina, President of the IFF Board of Trustees, and Jens Jerzembeck, Head of the Research and Technology Department at DVS, report on an award at the right time, new accents of the world's leading trade fair – and how SMEs can master the digital transformation.
Ms. Kleinpaß, is this the right time for the award, and why is it worth taking part?
Kleinpaß: We have wanted to offer an award at SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN for a long time, and digitalization was of course also a mega-topic at the trade fair two years ago, which we addressed in the form of a rally. The advantage of the award from the participants' point of view is, of course, the media support on all channels. We have developed our own logo, which directs visitors to the participants both at the trade fair and on our digital channels. Voting also takes place digitally. The value of the award is further enhanced by the fact that we deliberately designed the IF Digital Award as an audience award. After all, who could judge better than the visitors of SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN whether a solution is truly practical?
Mr. Jerzembeck, why is DVS involved in the IF Digital Award?
Jerzembeck: The question of how our industry uses digitalization has been on our minds at DVS for a long time. What it is actually about is using all the networks, data and data flows associated with the specific joining technology process chain – be it for process control, quality assessment, documentation or parts ordering and much more. Our feeling is that the industry is taking a somewhat conservative approach to digitalization, but despite all the surveys and networking formats, we cannot yet fully answer the question of who is actually doing what. Is it about isolated company solutions? Are complete production chains being presented? The IF Digital Award is a valuable indicator for us to understand innovation paths even better and to identify the areas in which we can provide support as an association.
Mr. Mikulina, the IndustryFusion Foundation (IFF) that you set up can be considered a flagship project in this respect. Where did the idea come from and how does it fit in with the times?
Mikulina: We are currently facing three major challenges. These are energy prices, the lack of orders and, above all, digitalization. We need new technologies, and SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN has always shown us the way in this respect. At the same time, we have unfortunately also observed over the past decade that every market participant has tried to implement their own proprietary solutions. What we lacked was a globally available infrastructure that could be used by all companies to truly represent intelligently networked production – highly secure, decentralized and designed in such a way that it creates added value for the industry. This is what the IFF wants to achieve.
How far along are you in the implementation process?
Mikulina: We have reached a milestone in that we were able to convince major players from the IT industry of the potential of cooperation. Representatives from prominent IT companies such as Intel, Dell and IONOS visited SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN 2023 and were impressed by the potential. Now, with the help of these and other IT companies, we are on the verge of realizing the IndustryFusion-X platform, where data sovereignty remains in each participating company, which can be implemented via plug and produce and is so easy to use that it can also be made available to SMEs without proven IT expertise. The problem with basically ingenious approaches such as Gaia-X or Manufacturing-X is that SMEs often cannot afford to introduce this technology. And that is precisely our aim: not only to build the infrastructure, but to put it into practice together.
Can DVS member companies also benefit from this without being members of the IFF?
Mikulina: Yes, absolutely. For example, we are now able to use blockchain technology to uniquely identify a component over its entire life cycle, even without a chip. For this Digital Product Passport, we are working with the DVS to offer its member companies a test phase for a non-profit platform called Industry Fusion Register for Identification (IFRIC). The principle is similar to what ICANN has done for URL addresses. It may sound abstract at first, but IFRIC is actually an important tool in the fight against product piracy. The next step, which we will be presenting at the Open Source Summit at SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN, is IndustryFusion-X: a Data Space 4.0 that also enables us to implement large business models. And with its computing power, it also allows the application of AI models – a huge breakthrough! I'll just mention the buzzwords Equipment as a Service or Shared Production here.
Mr. Jerzembeck, is such an approach suitable for removing the hurdles that are currently still holding back DVS member companies in terms of digitalization?
Jerzembeck: I think so. Because what are the obstacles? For our more than 17,000 member companies, the majority of which are SMEs, the main challenge when entering into digitalization solutions is that the success of such implementations is often not immediately measurable, so you first have to invest in IT and employees with the relevant expertise without knowing how this step will pay off in monetary terms and in competition. In addition, our hidden champions – and there are many of them – are concerned about sharing data that may contain exclusive process or product expertise. In some cases, this can also hinder a company's own development, e.g. because it does not develop new business models for its own know-how due to a lack of knowledge. An open source solution such as the one from the IndustryFusion Foundation can remove all these obstacles. One thing is certain: we have to accept the challenge of digitalization because otherwise our companies will no longer be competitive internationally.
Kleinpaß: We also have to address the issue of competitiveness on the trade fair side. SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN is the world's leading trade fair, and we want to remain so! To achieve this, we have to move with the industry, especially as we are observing that the former character of the trade fair as an order platform is increasingly moving towards innovation and communication. The fact that the IndustryFusion Foundation's Open Source Summit is taking place at the trade fair for the first time underscores this shift in emphasis. On the very first day of the trade fair, all the information on the topic of digitalization will be made available to the world, combined with the option of obtaining even more detailed information from the companies at the trade fair stands on the following days – this offers visitors real added value.
What else are you looking forward to in the SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN program?
Kleinpaß: Personally, I'm particularly looking forward to the Future Hub. This is a new communication area in the middle of the trade fair with a wide variety of formats: from panel discussions and meet & greets to speaker slots for exhibitors. We have content creators such as Igor Welder and other influencers as guests, are planning a panel discussion with female leaders, and will be talking about CO2 reduction and cyber security – in other words, a really comprehensive look at many topics that move the industry.
Jerzembeck: From a technical point of view, I am particularly interested in two topics: Firstly, in the research projects that we support through the Research Association of DVS, we have recently seen a focus on the validation of procedures for testing weld seams. These quality assessments, which are directly adapted to the welding process, are carried out automatically in real time, online or inline. Incidentally, this is also a topic that is directly related to digitalization and the use of AI. It will be interesting to see which products emerge from these projects. The second topic concerns regulatory requirements that will be groundbreaking for the industry. Whenever the EU-wide limit value for welding fumes will come into force: It will come and there is an acute need for action. I am very excited to see what solutions we will see in the direction of minimizing welding fumes. A key to success will also be process control with the relevant documentation. And that brings us back to the topic of digitalization.
Mikulina: I believe that we will be able to present the link between mechanical engineering and IT much better at this year's Open Source Summit than at the premiere. And even if many concepts are digital – personal presentation and communication is simply much more efficient than self-study on the internet.
Kleinpaß: That's exactly why SCHWEISSEN & SCHNEIDEN 2025 has the slogan “Join the Future”.
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