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Employees, machines and products get connected: the 4th Industrial Revolution has begun [1]. This is a central statement on the homepage of the German „Plattform Industrie 4.0“. Meanwhile the basic ideas started to move from the shopfloor level to the level of business processes and business models. In consequence it was detected pretty early, that digitization will affect the employees and their qualification and tasks in the companies; the term Work 4.0 evolved. The following contribution emphasizes the systematization of qualifications. A new model will be displayed, that helps to bring transparency to the distribution of qualification in companies. The useability of the model is verified in two case studies. The model is a practicable instrument for companies to gain a realistic view to the upcoming challenges of the shift of qualification due to digitization.

Reducing CO2 emissions to lower the global warming impact and protect the environment is a central objective of environmental policy. Climate neutrality shall be achieved by 2045 and a cross-sectoral reduction of greenhouse gases is only possible if fossil energy can be replaced by a sustainable alternative. In this context, green hydrogen and its derivatives have a high potential and could contribute to a more sustainable future. The city of Bremerhaven has recognized the potential of hydrogen and is currently establishing itself as a test region for hydrogen production and mobile applications.

Despite a strong media presence and proven potential benefits, Industrie 4.0 is not yet established in many companies. Industry 4.0 projects often remain in a prototype status and do not deliver long-term added value. The solution is an integrated digital system landscape consisting of a connected, digital infrastructure and a business organization oriented towards Industrie 4.0. Through a four-step approach, this paper presents the foundations that need to be created to enable scalable solutions and realize long-term benefits.

Holistic production systems (HPS) do not only produce positive effects in large companies - they also have an impact on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), such as improved adherence to delivery dates. However, HPS cannot be copied from large companies to SMEs due to different initial situations and circumstances. The introduction of HPS means a high effort for SMEs. In this paper, an approach is presented on how a bionic principle can make HPS less costly and at the same time more effective for SMEs.

The article addresses the digital transformation in international corporations. Using the example of the MANN+HUMMEL group, it will be shown how the digital maturity level can be measured in a group with several production locations and how the transformation process can be simplified and accelerated by identifying and using group-wide best practice solutions.