SmartFactoryKL coordinates the joint research and development activities for all of the members. We identify research interests, check possibilities for supporting the projects through subsidies at national and international level, and form competent consortia. For the implementation of research and development projects, we rely on experienced and highly qualified employees. Our members can also produce studies and thesis works in the context of SmartFactoryKL, where a motivated pool of student and graduate staff with interdisciplinary training in the relevant courses of study are able and willing to provide assistance.

At SmartFactoryKL, members work together in various working groups on different topics. The group members discuss and jointly determine the development efforts, trends, visions, and ideas to be further developed and planned so, in the next step, they can be implemented in the demonstration facility. Research teams at SmartFactoryKL act as moderators and promote the exchange among partners.

Within a network of industrial companies and research institutes SmartFactoryKL has created a manufacturer-independent, realistic research and demonstration environment. The platform serves as a testbed for new technologies, control architectures and components: Plant equipment and control elements from various suppliers can be integrated, tested, and further developed within this framework of prototypes and pilot projects.

SmartFactoryKL supports members and customers in all phases of a consulting project: From the identification and assessment of possible applications to the design and embedding of individual Industrie 4.0 solutions in existing production processes. Services also include technical coordination of your Industrie 4.0 projects and the development of migration strategies for follow on activities. In this way, we transfer the results obtained from application-oriented research projects to industrial operating practices.

SmartFactoryKL organizes information events interactive workshops on practical research questions and subjects for its members and customers. Thought provoking topics are discussed and passed on to our partner institutions. We encourage public awareness of the topics we are developing through our participation in activities such as trade show exhibits, conference contributions, professional publications and public relations work. We also communicate research and development results within the network and beyond.

SmartFactoryKL is also a powerful voice heard in the direction of government and professional associations. We initiate and support standardization efforts at both national and international levels in cooperation with the relevant committees and boards.
By preparing and providing the first publicly accessible standards, we supply the stimuli needed by industry and plant engineers to begin their implementations of the Industrie 4.0 concepts in specific products and as a new business model.