Working Together to Advance Digitalization

On May 7, MiC 4.0 attended the Construction Industry Day in Berlin—one of Germany’s most important platforms for dialogue between the construction industry and policymakers. The consortium had a booth at the event and engaged in conversations with many of the attendees.

Together with Joachim Schmid, Stephan Oehme, and Timo Feuerbach, Darius Soßdorf presented the goals and practical approaches of MiC 4.0. The discussions clearly demonstrated the strong and growing interest in digitally connected, interoperable construction machinery. In particular, there has been a noticeable increase in demand for practical and implementable solutions.

From Strategic Goals to Practical Implementation
A key takeaway from the event was the shared understanding among industry and policymakers that digitalization, productivity, sustainability, and resilience have become concrete requirements that must be implemented on construction sites and throughout the entire value chain.

This is exactly where MiC 4.0 comes in: with standardized and interoperable digital interfaces, seamless data exchange, and machine connectivity, as well as cross-vendor interoperability, it lays the foundation for efficient and future-proof construction processes.

Strong political commitment
The high level of political participation was notable. Remarks by high-ranking members of the federal government underscored the strategic importance of the construction industry for infrastructure development, economic stability, digital transformation, and the achievement of climate goals.

The event made it clear that a successful digital transformation of the construction industry can only be achieved through close collaboration between industry initiatives and policymakers.

Continue the dialogue
The members of the MiC 4.0 Working Group look forward to continuing their dialogue with stakeholders from the construction industry and the political sphere and to further advancing digital solutions for connected, efficient, and sustainable construction.

More than 100 participants tuned into the livestream on April 21st, starting at 8 AM. Dr. Darius Soßdorf, Managing Director of MiC 4.0, and Sebastian Siegmund, Project Manager of MiC 4.0, vividly demonstrated why a uniform understanding of data for construction machinery and construction processes is crucial – and what added value it offers in practice.

Two video statements from Ralf Lüddemann (Strabag) and Robert Kress (Leonhard Weiss) clearly demonstrated how users benefit in concrete terms. Sebastian Siegmund provided a practical insight into the freely accessible MiC 4.0 database for manufacturers and users with a specific search example. The data is provided on a server in Germany.

The recording of the webinar is available on YouTube via this link. The session „What construction companies need to know now“ will be repeated in English on May 19. The next issue on the topic will follow on June 16. „The MiC 4.0 BUS“.

I am April 21, 2026 from 8:00 AM to 8:45 AM MiC 4.0 invites you to a free live webinar. The focus is on the question of what role standardized data plays in the digitalization of construction processes – and what construction companies should know about it today.

Digital construction site needs common standards
The construction site is becoming increasingly digital. Machines, attachments, and construction processes are generating more and more data – but without common standards, many potentials remain unutilized.

MiC 4.0 picks up exactly here: The initiative creates the basis for a uniform, manufacturer-independent digital language and thus makes an important contribution to the digitalization of the construction process.

Compact Introduction to MiC 4.0
The webinar offers an understandable and concise introduction to the work of MiC 4.0. Among other things, it will cover:

• Why standardization is increasingly important in construction
• What goals and approaches does MiC 4.0 pursue
• What concrete benefits construction companies can derive from standardized data

Practical examples and experiences from application
The added value of MiC 4.0 is made tangible through selected examples. In addition, users from practice report on their experiences and show how standardized data already supports everyday construction and unlocks efficiency potential today.

Target audience
The webinar is aimed at construction companies that want to gain an overview of the role MiC 4.0 can play in their machine fleet and construction processes. The focus is on a practical and realistic introduction to the topic.

Following the webinar, there will be an opportunity for questions, exchange, and discussion.

Terms and Registration
📅 April 21, 2026
🕗 8:00 AM – 8:45 AM

Registration: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/311007b3-3882-4b07-b9b0-1c0af534c4c7@20d62e7b-4420-48d0-ba3f-70cadc237837

Further dates in the first half of 2026

• May 19, 2026 – Review Part 1: Fundamentals
• June 9, 2026 – Part 2: The MiC 4.0 BUS

On January 27, 2026, MiC 4.0 will hold its annual General Assembly held in digital format. Together with our members, we looked back at the most important developments and milestones of the past year – and looked ahead.

Looking back at 2025: Progress, Presence, and Collaboration

The year 2025 was characterized by strong momentum for MiC 4.0:

• Successful Presence at bauma 2025Many members showcased their solutions based on the MiC 4.0 agreements – a strong signal of the standard's growing relevance.

• New Role at ISO: Since spring 2025, MiC 4.0 is official Liaison Partner of ISO 15143 and actively contributes his expertise there – a significant step in international standardization work.

Outlook 2026: Focus on Application and Visibility

Looking ahead to the new year, it's clear that the benefits of MiC 4.0 are intended to more targeted, made tangible, and experienced in a practical way develop. That is why 2026 will be characterized by:

• Stronger practical application the MiC 4.0 agreements

• Increased public visibility and targeted communication

Thanks to all members

We thank all members for their continued commitment, input, and collaborative efforts – and look forward to a strong 2026 characterized by „One Digital Language“!

Digital Machine Communication on the Construction Site

What exactly can be achieved on-site at the construction site? And how are the findings from MiC 4.0 implemented in practice? Dr. Darius Soßdorf, Managing Director of the VDMA working group MiC 4.0 – One Digital Language, and Rainer Leonhard Schrode, owner of MTS Schrode AG, answer these two key questions in this interview.

„Excavators and Cranes“ - VDMA Industry Podcast (German)

Enjoy listening!

More links to the podcast:

VDMA https://lnkd.in/d5uaPkQ3
Spotify https://lnkd.in/dpGNnm4C
Apple https://lnkd.in/dqe-CZ6P
RTL+ https://lnkd.in/euT3zacY

2025 was a year of progress, intense discussions, and close collaboration. One thing is clear: the path to One Digital Language is challenging—but absolutely worth it.

We would like to thank you for your trust, commitment, and support. Without the energy of our members, partners, and friends, our work at MiC 4.0 would not be possible.

We hope you find time to pause, recharge, and enjoy moments with family and friends over the holidays.

We wish you happy holidays, peaceful moments to recharge, and a great start to 2026!

We are looking forward to everything that lies ahead.

💙 Your MiC 4.0 Team

There were some successes to report. A milestone is the release of the test tool and the database. Manufacturers can now register their machines in the database after a successful test run, and users can research and compare. As a result, construction companies and machine users benefit from always receiving the data in a uniform format with consistently the same meaning of data values – regardless of the manufacturer and across machines. What construction companies do with the data afterwards remains their responsibility. All MiC 4.0 work is always and exclusively based on the ISO standard 15143. The most important topic areas are:

• ISO 15143-3: Fleet Management (cumulative data only)
• ISO 15143-4: Topographical Data and Registration with the Site Management System (SMS)
• ISO 15143-5: Data acquisition via use cases/tasks, acquisition of individual areas, order data to and from the machine (VIS)

MiC 4.0 pursues various architectural approaches, for example, backend-to-backend, attachment interface, and assistant interface. This led to the ISO committee becoming aware of the work and offering the working group a collaboration. MiC 4.0 is now a liaison partner of ISO TC 127 SC3 WG 5 and participates in all meetings, but does not have voting rights.

Here's the full report on the event. Mark your calendars now: the next event will take place in 2027.

The MiC 4.0 guide compactly summarizes how cross-manufacturer standards facilitate digital communication on the construction site – practical, understandable, and user-oriented.

The Working Group MiC 4.0 – a joint initiative of leading companies from the VDMA (Mechanical Engineering Industry Association) and the HDB (German Construction Industry Federation) – aims to simplify communication between machines, attachments, and systems through open, digital standards.

The focus is on the concrete benefits for users: more transparency, higher compatibility, and increased efficiency on the construction site.

The guide clearly presents key developments and applications, including:

• MiC 4.0 TestToolMachine manufacturers (OEMs) can check if their machines meet the requirements of ISO 15143 – an important step towards interoperability.

• Open MiC 4.0 DatabaseIt shows which manufacturers have tested which machine types and which data is available.

• MiC 4.0 BUS for AttachmentsThe standardized data protocol enables automatic detection of attachments – without additional hardware, software, or displays.

This means the following for machine operators, construction companies, and system providers:

• Simplified changeover of machines and attachments

• Improved Data Integration

• Clearly defined interfaces for networked construction processes

The MiC 4.0 guide and other results and publications are available here for free download.

Process data only unfold their full potential when their added value becomes concretely understandable for users. For this reason, MiC 4.0 is now taking the next step: The process-related data for attachments are being further developed and described in detail.

Some machine users are already successfully using the data transmitted via the MiC 4.0 BUS protocol. To make the benefits, practical utility, and especially the efficiency in connection with specific work processes even more transparent for all users, the respective process data of the individual attachments will now be comprehensibly processed.

The goal is clear: the MiC 4.0 BUS protocol should be understandable and practical for all users – offering real added value for daily work on the construction site. The structured description of relevant data aims to make the use of attachments even more efficient, safer, and user-friendly.