Hilscher and Schwarz Digits launch Europe’s sovereign edge-to-cloud platform for industry

Europe needs industrial digitalization that doesn’t have to choose between speed of innovation and data sovereignty. With netFIELD, we contribute 40 years of industrial experience, bringing the necessary OT proximity, industrial robustness and a proven concept for centrally managing large device fleets. And now we combine it with a European cloud foundation that takes the industry’s sovereignty requirements seriously.

The partnership with Schwarz Digits opens up new possibilities for us to provide our device management solution netFIELD securely, scalably and highly available in public or private cloud infrastructures. Together with Schwarz Digits, we can offer a solution portfolio to the German and international markets that sets new benchmarks in technological capabilities for secure, cloud-based networking of production.

Sovereign cloud is not a buzzword, it is a prerequisite for competitiveness. With this initiative, together with Hilscher we are creating an end-to-end path from the machine to the cloud – under the European legal framework, with strong security standards, and with a clear focus on open interfaces instead of vendor lock-in.

Industrial companies do not digitalize only in “greenfield” environments: existing machine parks, long life cycles and different industrial protocols are common realities – while pressure is increasing to operate plants efficiently and securely, scale services, and provide software/security updates safely throughout the entire lifecycle. This is exactly where the two companies’ approach comes in: modular, industrial-grade and scalable – enabling safe, simple and cost-effective digitalization of machines and plants as well as the development of new digital services.

Hilscher has been an expert in industrial communication solutions for 40 years. The company from Hattersheim has developed netFIELD, a comprehensive edge management platform that enables centralized management of hardware and software in the IIoT. Together with Schwarz Digits’s cloud infrastructure, this creates an offering that combines data sovereignty and industrial scalability—from public or private cloud to on-premise scenarios at the customer site.

Schwarz Digits is the IT and digital division of Schwarz Group and offers impressive digital products and services that meet the high German data protection standards. With the aim of achieving the greatest possible digital sovereignty, Schwarz Digits provides the IT infrastructure and solutions for the extensive ecosystem of the companies of Schwarz Group and develops it for the future. Schwarz Digits' sovereign core services include Cloud, Cyber Security, Data and AI, Communication and Workspace. In addition, Schwarz Digits creates optimal conditions for the development of trend-setting innovations for end customers, companies and public sector organizations.

Hilscher is the leading technology and solution provider in industrial communication. With Hilscher products and solutions, machines worldwide communicate with each other automatically, quickly and securely to ensure smooth production and processes. From hardware to the cloud, Hilscher enables Industry 4.0 – opening up entirely new connectivity possibilities that give customers access to broader markets. Hilscher’s core products are the multi-protocol communication controllers netX, related components such as embedded modules as well as cifX PC cards, and the edge and device management platform netFIELD.

Founded in 1986 in Hattersheim am Main, Hilscher has grown into an internationally active company with more than 400 employees at 12 locations worldwide. Experience and expertise, a passion for technological innovation, and strong motivation to always find the best solution for the industrial communication of the future are what drive Hilscher.