Welcome to idt.media – Home of Industrial Digital Transformation

European alternatives to US hyperscalers

The digital backbone of the German economy is firmly in US hands. More and more companies are now looking for sovereign alternatives – also for cost reasons. We show what the market has to offer. The hurdles are often lower than expected.

Daniela Hoffmann

Why industry is betting on AI in machine tools

AI in the machine tool is no longer just a topic for the future. Initial applications are already running in practice, while limitations, risks, and open standards remain crucial. Trumpf, Index, and Siemens provide insights.

Torsten Kirchmann

Turkish mechanical engineering hopes for new momentum

Turkish mechanical engineering remains an important industrial driver, but it is under pressure. Inflation, volatile exchange rates, and expensive financing are slowing investment, while export-oriented sectors and German suppliers are hoping for fresh momentum.

Ernst Leiste

Cyber Resilience Act: Why companies must invest

Cyber Resilience Act in mechanical engineering

The Cyber Resilience Act fundamentally changes the requirements for products in mechanical and plant engineering. From December 2027, only demonstrably secure solutions may be placed on the EU market.

Daniela Hoffmann

Editor's Pick View all

Port security: Drone defense and cyber defense

North Sea and Baltic Sea

Port security in the North Sea and Baltic Sea is moving into focus. Drones, sabotage, and cyberattacks are hitting maritime infrastructure—and with it key hubs of industry.

Stefan Weinzierl

Why digitalization in mechanical engineering often remains invisible

Digitalization in mechanical engineering

German industry is considered a latecomer in digitalization. For mechanical and plant engineering, this picture is incomplete. Much of the transformation is happening where it is hardly visible: in machines, processes, and systems.

Manfred Godek

AI center: Why Google’s Berlin investment matters

AI center in Germany

Google has opened an AI center in Berlin. The new Google AI Center is part of a multi-billion-euro investment program with which the company aims to expand its AI infrastructure in Germany.

Stefan Weinzierl

MetaverseView all

Virtual twins in focus

Dassault Systèmes and Nvidia build industrial AI platform

Dassault Systèmes and Nvidia aim to move industrial AI out of the 'pilot project corner' and establish it as a scalable platform for virtual twins in engineering, manufacturing, and research. The goal: fewer isolated solutions, more robust industrial architecture.

Stefan Weinzierl

4 February 2026

Industrial metaverse

How the Nvidia Omniverse makes AI factories a reality

How does the Nvidia Omniverse accelerate AI factories? The digital ecosystem is transforming planning, production, and robotics in record time. An interview with Timo Kistner, EMEA Industry Business Lead - Manufacturing & Industrial.

Anja Ringel

29 January 2026

AutomationView all

Dr Marius Grathwohl, senior vice president digital products at Multivac, in an interview

“Without reliable training data there is no reliable AI”

How is AI changing business models in packaging machinery manufacturing? Dr Marius Grathwohl, speaker at the Packaging Machinery Conference 2026, explains why robust AI cannot be created without clean data – and how data-driven services, vision systems and new usage models are redefining the industry.

Philip Bittermann

30 March 2026

Dr. Axel Zein, CEO of WSCAD, on AI in engineering

“Humans will then become almost like a kind of team leader”

AI is still in its infancy in engineering - but its potential is enormous. WSCAD CEO Dr. Axel Zein explains why use cases are more important than technology, how engineers become team leaders of virtual designers, and how to successfully introduce AI in your own company.

Philip Bittermann

10 February 2026

New Work View all

Shortage despite decline in open positions

Engineering job market under pressure: Skills are lacking

Despite declining job offers, the demand for engineers remains high. The new VDI/IW Engineering Monitor provides explosive figures.

Stefan Weinzierl

28 January 2026

Kicker / headline about 30 characters

Manufacturing 2030: Humanoid robots and autonomous factories

Humanoid machines take over tasks, autonomous systems control entire production lines. Two megatrends are setting course for manufacturing in 2030 - with disruptive potential.

Stefan Weinzierl

23 January 2026

Re- and upskilling

What the future costs

The major automotive players are investing significant amounts in re- and upskilling their people. With increasing AI usage, career paths are changing, and the right further education becomes even more crucial. Especially for medium-sized companies, this is a challenge.

Daniela Hoffmann

13 October 2025

MarketsView all

Data security for European industry

Hilscher and Schwarz Digits launch edge-to-cloud platform

A joint initiative by Hilscher and Schwarz Digits combines industrial OT connectivity and edge device management (Netfield) with a European, certified cloud infrastructure (Stackit Cloud from Schwarz Digits) – for secure updates, data sovereignty and new digital industrial services “made in Europe”.

Redaktion Automation NEXT

26 April 2026

EU-Australia free trade agreement

EU-Australia free trade agreement: Boost for industry

The EU-Australia free trade agreement has been concluded after around eight years of negotiations and is intended to reduce tariffs, trade barriers, and dependencies.