The Advisory Board of the QI-Digital Initiative
The initiative is supported by its advisory board in terms of strategic orientation, concrete implementation, and networking with stakeholders.
In addition to experts from companies and associations, the board also includes representatives from research institutions and public authorities as well as QI stakeholders.
The advisory board is tasked with advising the QI-Digital initiative, providing impetus, and supporting it in achieving its goals. The focus is on raising awareness of the importance and significance of QI and its digital transformation for Germany as a business location. One focus of the advisory board's work will be to ensure that the activities of the QI-Digital initiative are linked to the market. In particular, the advisory board aims to bring ideas and needs from the field into the initiative. This will enable areas for action to be identified and application-specific, needs-based solutions to be developed.
Sandro Amendola (Abteilungspräsident / Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI)), Dr. Reinhard Baumfalk (VP Global Engineering Factory Automation | Discrete Automation / Emerson | Aventics GmbH), Dr. Holger Berg (Stellv. Abteilungsleiter und Co-Leiter des Forschungsbereichs Digitale Transformation und Kreislaufwirtschaft / Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie), Anton Blöth (Sprecher der Geschäftsführung / VUP - Deutscher Verband Unabhängiger Prüflaboratorien), Dr. Joachim Bühler (Geschäftsführer und Mitglied des Präsidiums / TÜV-Verband), Dr. Sandra Drechsler (Abteilungsleiterin Technikpolitik und Standardisierung / Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau e. V. (VDMA)), Elke Gehrke (Qualitätsmanagementbeauftragte / Stiftung Warentest), Vera Wesselkamp (Referentin technische Regulierung & Standardisierung / Bitkom e.V.), Dr. Thomas Holtmann (Abteilungsleiter Umwelt, Technik und Nachhaltigkeit / Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie e.V. (BDI)), Prof. Dr. Thomas Knothe (Abteilungsleiter Geschäftsprozess- und Fabrikmanagement / Fraunhofer Institut für Produktionsanlagen und Konstruktionstechnik), Dr. Klaus Kreß (Head of Certification / Member of the Management / VDE Prüf- und Zertifizierungsinstitut GmbH), Klaus-Udo Marwinski (Leiter der Abteilung Technische Regulierung, Standardisierung. Telekommunikation /Bundesnetzagentur), Heinz-Günter Plegniere (Leiter der Abteilung Qualitätsmanagement-Center (QMC) / Verband der Automobilindustrie e.V. (VDA)), Jochen Reinschmidt (Bereichsleiter Digitalisierung & Recht, Abteilungsleiter Digital- und Innovationspolitik / ZVEI e.V., Verband der Elektro- und Digitalindustrie), Ingo M. Rübenach (Geschäftsführer und Sprecher der Geschäftsführung / DQS Holding GmbH), Prof. Dr. Robert Schmitt (Präsident / Vorstand der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Qualität (DGQ)), Prof. Dr. Philipp Slusallek (Geschäftsführender Direktor DFKI Saarbrücken & Leiter des Forschungsbereichs Agenten und Simulierte Realität / DFKI - Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz), Dr. Torsten Tracht (Stellv. Leiter / Zentralstelle der Länder für Sicherheitstechnik (ZLS)), Dr. Peter Ulbig (Direktor / Landesbetrieb Mess- und Eichwesen Niedersachsen (MEN)).
Dr. Thomas Alexander (Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin); Dr. Tobias Bleyer ((Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin); Boris Böhme (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie), Dr. Arne Höll (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie), Magda Kemper (Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales), Dirk Moritz (Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales).
Focus group 1: Application, International Affairs, Strategy
Led by: Heribert Schorn (I2PS) and Dr. Matthias Fankhänel (formerly BASF)
Members: From the QI-Digital advisory board
FG1 deals with strategic anchoring at the international level. The aim is to develop concepts and introduce them to relevant committees in such a way that they become internationally accepted solutions. This includes: identifying and utilizing international networks, building alliances, developing a communication strategy to promote understanding of the added value of a (digital) quality infrastructure, and coordinating with stakeholders to ensure acceptance. The results of the focus group are submitted to the advisory board for discussion and approval. Direct communication with political actors does not take place through the focus group itself, but rather through trade associations and the initiative.
In addition, FG1 focuses on the practical implementation of use cases and the development of suitable platforms and tools. The focus is on analyzing and presenting a continuous process chain across all use cases, identifying missing interfaces and necessary technical adjustments, connecting to conformity assessment bodies for practical implementation, and using existing definitions and technical instruments to avoid duplication of development. The focus group serves as an interface between theory and practical implementation by taking up findings from pilot projects and networks and making its results available to the advisory board for strategic consultation.
Focus group 2: Market surveillance
Chair: Dr. Peter Ulbig (Measurement and Calibration Service of Lower Saxony), Magda Kemper (BMAS).
Members: From the QI-Digital advisory board, market surveillance authorities (calibration directorates, ZLS, ZLG, BNetzA) and industry.
Market surveillance (MS) is a central component of the quality infrastructure and crucial for the protection of the national and European single market. FG2 aims to analyze the specific requirements and challenges of market surveillance in a digitalized economy and develop solutions. In particular, the following questions will be addressed:
- What information, data, and digital access do market surveillance authorities need in order to fulfill their sovereign task of protecting the national and European single market?
- How can MS be ensured with digital tools in view of the rapid growth of international online trading platforms? In doing so, requirements for a digital QI should be derived and integrated from the perspective of market surveillance authorities.
Initial findings of Focus Group 2
Customs and market surveillance authorities in Germany are unable to fulfill their sovereign duty of checking the conformity of a growing flood of products entering the German market. The approach of random product checks by market surveillance authorities cannot fully address the current undesirable developments on the market, particularly with regard to imports from third countries. For this reason, the QI-Digital initiative has set up a focus group on the topic of “market surveillance.” In this group, QI stakeholders are working together with state representatives from the field of market surveillance, representatives of the federal government, research institutions, the office of the German Market Surveillance Forum, and industry to protect the internal market and find a viable way to improve the current situation. To this end, they want to establish digital tools for market surveillance. This paper presents the initial results.
Focus group 3: Regulatory framework
Chair: Markus Reigl (Siemens)
Members: From the QI-Digital Advisory Board
FG3 deals with the regulatory framework at European and national level. The aim is to identify and analyze relevant regulations in order to assess the extent to which they promote or hinder the objectives of QI-Digital. Objectives:
- Creation of an overview of the regulatory landscape (e.g., accreditation regulations, market surveillance regulations, NLF/CE directives, labeling requirements).
- Development of a catalog with cross-reference mapping to ensure transparency of relevant content and contexts for QI-Digital.
- Development of strategic proposals for input into the legislative process in order to influence upcoming regulatory developments at an early stage.
A suitable legal framework is needed for the introduction and use of digital tools in the quality infrastructure. With its position paper “10 Principles for Good Regulation”, the advisory board of the QI-Digital initiative invites dialogue on legislative and regulatory practice. The paper provides recommendations for a suitable legal framework and the underlying regulation of QI institutions that support digital solutions for QI.
The paper is aimed at national and European legislators, regulators, and other stakeholders from politics, administration, business, and society. It also serves as a basis for practice-oriented further development and dialogue between stakeholders. We would be happy to develop it further with you. We look forward to your suggestions and questions: info@qi-digital.de
