IK4-IKERLAN engages in the creation of the App-Store of the future for the 4.0 industry

The IK4-IKERLAN technology centre is one of the partners of the Virtual Factory Operating System (vf-OS) European project, whose goal is the creation of a platform which, like Android’s or IOS’ marketplaces, will host and download software applications for industry 4.0.

Other than optimizing communication and collaboration among the various sectors, vf-OS is expected to drive new business meetings, as a result of the interaction between the various user profiles in the platform.

This development implies a meeting point between industries who need to implement manufacture software applications (vApps) and the companies that develop them. The system will offer developers an environment to drive innovative applications, and for companies a place to find or acquire existing applications or to request the development of new ones.

vf-OS will be an open operative system, conformed by a system node, an app programming interface, and an advanced data communications and storage system. Everything will be hosted by a platform enabled for installation by the companies and, lately, downloading applications created by software developers.

Funded by Horizonte 2020, the EU program for supporting I+D, the vf-OS project is framed by the Factories of the future initiative, dedicated to the development of technologies with a high value added for the so-called factories of the future, and led by the UK company ICE (Information Catalyst for Enterprises).  Apart from IK4-IKERLAN, MONDRAGON ASSEMBLY and UNIVERSIDAD POLITÉCNICA DE VALENCIA, members of MANU-KET, other 11 organisations from 6 European countries participate in the project.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 723710.