Stuttgart, Germany, February 24, 2025. The Stuttgart-based consulting company Drees & Sommer SE, which specializes in factory and industrial projects, and T-Systems International GmbH, an internationally operating service provider for information and communication technologies with headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and Santa Clara are collaborating to advance the next generation of digital production plants using NVIDIA Omniverse. The first successful projects have already been implemented in the automotive sector.
A high-tech manufacturing plant encounters a huge obstacle during the construction of a new factory, despite detailed coordination with all trades. A small renovation project results in sudden and expensive manufacturing downtime. The failure of a defective machine would have been avoidable if a part had been replaced in time. Events that are now repeatedly leading to costly outages can be avoided in the future by a digital twin of the factory. This is where Omniverse, a platform for developing physical AI-powered applications for industrial digitalization, comes in. In simple terms, the Omniverse platform enables manufacturers to build one-to-one virtual representations and run real time simulations of the interactions of people, machines and facilities, manufacturing and logistics processes, buildings, products, and infrastructure in the real world. This allows possible conflicts to be identified in the virtual world so that everything runs smoothly in the actual project right from the start.
Efficient Processes, Less Carbon Dioxide
The integration of expert systems into a central platform facilitates the collaboration between the different planning departments and internal and external partners. This helps to increase the efficiency of processes, and it accelerates feedback loops. A uniform and transparent database optimizes the planning and the commissioning processes. In this way, planning, realization and operational costs can be reduced. A fully digital design process also provides greater transparency, which helps to reduce carbon dioxide emissions during the construction and day-to-day operation of the factory.
Combination of Technologies and Know-How as Game Changer
As a long-term partner to industrial clients and end-to-end IT solutions providers, T-Systems supports the successful implementation of industrial metaverse applications, including seamless integration in existing infrastructures, systems and data sources. Christian Hort, Senior Vice President Automotive at T-Systems International GmbH, explains the benefits for clients: “Industrial companies of all sectors are going through a phase of change. The combination of technologies and know-how of our three firms is a real game changer. The huge number of possible applications offers manufacturing businesses a variety of solutions for factory and building design.“
Involved in the Industrial Metaverse of the Future from the Start
Associate Partner Mathias Stach explained what the consulting company Drees & Sommer SE has to contribute in this triumvirate: “We are the leaders in the area of integrated factory design throughout the entire lifecycle of the production plant, from the integrated process, production and industrial building concept through planning and realization up to commissioning and ensuring the start of production (SOP), in accordance with the time, quality and budget requirements. Our offer includes the full range of factory and facilities planning. There are only a few companies in Europe offering these services under one roof.“
Mathias Stach is convinced that the collaboration with NVIDIA and T-Systems, enables a deeper involvement in digital production and industrial building planning, and in the industrial metaverse of the future: “We are involved right from the start, and advise our clients on the latest standards for the efficient handling of high-quality design projects,“ comments the Associate Partner.
Digital First – Automotive Manufacturing Leads the Way
The collaboration model between T-Systems and Drees & Sommer has already proven itself in the first projects for a well-known car manufacturer. The services include the coordination of a pilot project, the integration of provider and technology interfaces and the development of fundamental processes and standards. In addition, various integration concepts have been assessed and suppliers supported during implementation.
The Omniverse platform enables manufacturing companies to build solutions that combine all systems for the planning of assembly, processes, materials handling, and industrial construction on a central platform. This enables both internal teams and external partners to work together faster and more efficiently. The improved data allows early appraisals of master plans, higher design quality, and trouble-free commissioning – both virtually and in the real world.