The SME manufacturers of equipment lack a practical pathway to data sharing, such as becoming ready for data spaces and digital product passport, despite upcoming regulations and market demand.
Data-driven sales and traceable data sharing is necessary because there is a digitalization transition. Products must align with the implementation of Data Act, Data Spaces, Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, Digital Product Passport, etc. Equipment manufacturers will have to share data. Most SMEs do not have a data sharing plan to align with the transition.
A profound financial challenge for equipment manufacturers is that money from a sale is locked in (equipment only paid 20-50% upfront). There is a financial strain since the SME has to pay salaries and suppliers of equipment parts before they have the final (full) payment.
The equipment and process can be developed in more efficient way if the manufacturer has access to data from equipment that is with customers. That user data is not shared today.
The full potential of the SME process knowhow is not used by external parties. A tool is often delivered with a basic process. There is more knowhow with the team. Big industries already have knowhow. New industries and start-ups which use the SME equipment are in a development stage. Those will benefit of the knowhow that is with equipment makers. That is a possible income for the SME.
Products must be sustainable. Sooner or later, products and processes which are responsible for negative CO2 emissions will not have business. Products in a supply/value chain can only be optimized by sharing data and use digitalization. Data in value chains is not shared today.
Data from equipment and shared knowledge has to be made in a systematic way. It can not be done by one to one agreement. Everyone must gather under one platform. For being active, they must get values (money, information, or anything else). This can be realized by using data to create digital assets which can be applied to promote more business.
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