Catena-X: MHP is solution provider for Volkswagen AG suppliers

• Milestone for Catena-X: From the end of May, Volkswagen Group suppliers have the opportunity to connect with one another via the “Readiness Booster Program” and use MHP as an onboarding solution provider
• MHP is a certified Enablement Service Provider to help suppliers with onboarding
• With the Eclipse Dataspace Connector (EDC) “as a Service”, MHP supplies a key technology that provides secure and standardized access to data in the data ecosystem and promotes collaborative data use

Ludwigsburg – In its role as a certified solution provider, the management and IT consultancy MHP is helping suppliers to connect to the Catena-X data ecosystem. With its certified solution and comprehensive consulting portfolio, MHP is part of Catena-X’s so-called “Readiness Booster Program”, supporting the onboarding initiative for the suppliers of all OEMs that have committed to integrating selected suppliers into the data ecosystem. Catena-X e.V. has set itself the goal of attracting more than 1,000 new suppliers this year. These companies will be connected to the network, will be able to share and exchange data with other OEMs and suppliers and will strengthen the global community in the data ecosystem. Volkswagen Group suppliers also have the opportunity to connect to the collaborative data network together with MHP.

Frank Goeller, Programme Manager Catena-X@Volkswagen Group and board member of Catena-X e.V.: “Suppliers and OEMs must increasingly be able to exchange data along the automotive value chain in a secure, standardized, and compliant manner – not least due to growing regulatory requirements and compliance protocols. Catena-X delivers valuable standards with specific use cases that can be put into practice. MHP is an important solution provider in the project for the Volkswagen Group.”

MHP has been officially listed as a certified Enablement Service Provider of the Catena-X Automotive Network e.V. since May 2025. The management and IT consultancy is also active as a Cofinity-X member – Cofinity-X is the operating company for the Catena-X data room, which provides a marketplace for apps and services in addition to ensuring operations. One solution is the Eclipse Dataspace Connector (EDC) “as a Service” developed by MHP – a key technology that provides secure and standardized access to data in the data ecosystem, promoting collaborative data use along the industrial value chain.

Markus Wambach, Group COO at MHP: “As a certified and qualified consultant, we are sharing our knowledge and playing an active role in helping to successfully develop and establish this pioneering initiative. This is important for the future of data-driven ecosystems, which have huge potential to generate efficiency, enabling us to help Volkswagen, its suppliers, and other companies to tap into the potential of data-based value creation and harness it on a lasting basis. We can then make a significant contribution to the success and ongoing development of Catena-X.”

OEMs and suppliers benefit from solutions aimed at improving efficiency

Catena-X is an industry-wide initiative of the automotive sector. The close cooperation between leading companies creates a transparent, networked, and standardized data infrastructure. The aim is to work together to develop standards for secure data exchange in automotive production and establish an end-to-end data chain across the entire automotive value chain. To this end, the Activation Supplier Network Group was founded by Catena-X in order to bolster the activation of partners and suppliers in a concerted manner. One of the joint measures here is the Catena-X Readiness Booster Program, which was launched in June 2025.

Matthias Lorbach, Associated Partner and Project Manager for Catena-X at MHP, explains: “With certification as an Enablement Service Provider and our EDC as a Service, we offer companies a customized solution for secure and successful entry into the world of data ecosystems, helping them to network along the entire value chain in a secure, automated, and scalable manner so that they can exploit the full potential of the Catena-X and Manufacturing-X initiatives.”

In specific terms, suppliers from different manufacturers will enter the data ecosystem using an onboarding service developed by MHP that covers all phases – from the strategic requirements analysis to implementation and live operation. From a technical perspective, the EDC as a Service connector solution developed and supplied by MHP will help them to gain access to the data ecosystem.

In addition, MHP develops individual integration solutions using metaverse technologies or digital twins, for example, along the value and supply chains. The identification of suitable use cases is also part of the services on offer. The consortium is currently working on ten use cases aimed at developing specific solutions to improve efficiency, increase resilience in supply chains, and reduce the carbon footprint of products. These measures are designed to speed up the implementation process while significantly cutting costs.

Connecting data spaces in the Manufacturing-X universe

One of the next key steps in further scaling the data ecosystem involves connecting the various data spaces from the Manufacturing-X universe – such as Catena-X, Factory-X, Aerospace-X, and Chem-X – and making them interoperable. The idea here is to enable cross-industry use cases and exploit synergy potential.

“Our technical and methodological expertise has already come to the fore in the development of Factory-X – a logical follow-up project to Catena-X for the mechanical engineering industry,” explains Matthias Lorbach. “We advised the consortium on the development of an overarching organizational and operational structure. In the next phase, we want to use our certified EDC as a Service to link different data spaces with each other and provide new, industry-specific data spaces for other industries. This will enable us to create a standardized and scalable connection for different players and thus play a key role in guaranteeing the interoperability and future viability of the data ecosystem.”

What’s more, a new data infrastructure for factory equipment suppliers and operators is set to be introduced in 2025, which will permit secure and collaborative data use along the entire value chain without compromising the data sovereignty of the companies involved. Building on this, comparable data spaces are also set to be created in the aerospace and chemical industries in order to establish cross-industry data ecosystems here and create a common basis for digital industrial applications.

About Catena-X

Catena-X is an automotive industry initiative that aims to develop transparent and networked value chains through the collaboration of leading companies. The vision is to establish uniform standards in data and information exchange to create a data ecosystem that improves efficiency and integration throughout the supply chain and facilitates joint innovation.
Participation in Catena-X enables companies to interact seamlessly with partners, optimize data exchange, and thus increase their competitive ability.