Events of the International Center for Networked, Adaptive Production

This year, we met in Ratingen with our community partners to exchange the latest findings from our studies. In addition to engaging expert presentations and workshops, the event provided valuable insights into Mitsubishi Electric's innovation environment and fostered meaningful discussions among participating companies, highlighting the importance of collaboration within the ICNAP network.

This Industrial Spotlight Session focused on the topic of “Flexible and Resilient Workforce Scheduling in Manufacturing.” The event explored current workforce planning challenges faced by manufacturing companies and highlighted how flexible scheduling approaches can enhance operational resilience. In addition, participants gained insights into strategies that help organizations adapt more effectively to dynamic market and production conditions.

During this online meeting, participants exchanged insights on developments in data modeling, digital twins, and cybersecurity in industrial production. The event provided updates from ICNAP studies on the integration of autonomous AI, robotics, and virtual control systems. Keynotes and interactive sessions offered valuable inspiration and strengthened collaboration within the ICNAP network.

On April 28, 2026, the Fraunhofer-Institut für Produktionstechnologie IPT, together with the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Düsseldorf e.V., hosted an information event on the digital transformation of manufacturing. The program featured presentations and live demonstrations on topics such as 5G, digital twins, sensor technology, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing technologies. A networking session concluded the event and encouraged professional exchange among participants.

At the ICNAP Study Kick-off 2026, the foundation was laid for an exciting year of research.

Key future topics were presented, including the use of agentic AI to automate production and business processes, the evaluation of humanoid robots in manufacturing, and the potential of virtual controllers (vPLC) for new business models. In addition, approaches for the long-term use of AI in quality control as well as security measures in industrial automation were explored.

The event focused on inspiring discussions, valuable feedback, and a shared commitment to successfully implementing the five new studies.

At our third Annual Meeting, the latest progress of the five 2025 studies were showcased in a milestone presentations. Over two days, ICNAP members joined online to gain exclusive insights into the International Center’s activities regarding the digitalization of production. In addition to the studies and various ICNAP core topics, the program featured two insightful guest lectures by Dr. Sören Hollatz and Dr. Sebastian Felder.