The Ferdinand Steinbeis Institute (FSTI) is a member of the Steinbeis Network with its own network of leading research Establishments and affiliated institute of Steinbeis University. To address the requirements of Industry 4.0, work at the FSTI revolves around the increasing merging of physical objects and embedded IT, taking into account changes in Internet connectivity and the impact all of this has on industrial ecosystems and value creation. By seeing such developments as an opportunity, manufacturing companies can leverage these trends, thus enabling sectors of industry that are largely shaped by small and medium-sized enterprises to establish new business competences and become a central part of this new approach to value creation.
In order to achieve this, it is essential to adapt business models and company competences in keeping with corporate strategies, and to embrace the emerging technologies these developments bring forth, while simultaneously adapting to trends relating to the digitization and networking of industrial processes and infrastructures. This must be carried out in “smart” ways that also support overriding objectives.
The key areas of the FSTI research are:
