Architecture Drivers for Trustworthy Interoperability in Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 has come to the attention of companies as it enables to highly networked smart factories and leveraging of complex manufacturing processes. How to achieve trustworthy interoperability among several heterogeneous entities and also among companies is still a challenge; however, hence, there is a strong focus on research, standardization initiatives, and adaptation of solutions from other areas. Yet, companies interested in Industry 4.0 do not have any guidance on what solutions or concerns should be considered to architect Industry 4.0 systems that assure trustworthy interoperability. This article contributes a set of essential requirements for assuring a trustworthy interoperability in Industry 4.0. We first identified the main challenges regarding interoperability in real-case Industry 4.0 projects. Then, we designed a set of architecture drivers combining such challenges with quality aspects extracted a systematic literature review. We refined these drivers based on a rigorous survey with experts from Industry 4.0. As a result, we found seven architecture drivers: Authentication to the system, data access control, data privacy to protect sensitive information, traceability and auditability of data, availability of physical devices, availability of data, and compatibility of data and services. We recommend adopting all these drivers jointly to assure trustworthy interoperability, which is such an important factor for Industry 4.0.

Automated summary

Industry 4.0 has brought attention to the need for trustworthy interoperability among heterogeneous entities and companies. This article presents seven essential architecture drivers, including data privacy, data traceability, and data availability, recommended to be adopted jointly for ensuring trustworthy interoperability in Industry 4.0 systems.