September 23, 2022 – "Mercedes-Benz Digital Factory Campus," the competence center for digitalization in the global Mercedes-Benz production network, officially starts operations.
Mercedes-Benz AG opened its Mercedes-Benz Digital Factory Campus (MBDFC) marking the transformation of its Berlin-Marienfelde site into a centre for digitalization in automotive production. With a series of state-of-the-art pilot lines and test cells, the campus is now a hub for global Mercedes-Benz digital production technologies, combining development, testing, and seamless and rapid global implementation of pioneering MO360 software applications for automotive production as well as acting as a digital start-up factory. In addition, the campus will become the MO360 training and qualification center for implementing digital approaches in the global network. With the MBDFC and the production of electric drive components, the site forms an important pillar of the Mercedes-Benz "electric only" strategy. Mercedes-Benz is investing a triple-digit million euros amount into the transformation of Berlin-Marienfelde over the next five years.
In Berlin-Marienfelde, we are putting the cornerstones of our strategy into practice with digitization and electromobility. The transformation from a location for conventional drive components into an innovation hub for software and a production site for electric motors, is enormous. At the same time, it shows how we can shape the transition towards a new digital-electric era together.
Ola Källenius
Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG
The digitalization of production is a key success factor for Mercedes-Benz. Through the introduction and consistent further development of MO360, the digital ecosystem, all core production processes have already been standardized, digitized and rolled out worldwide in all Mercedes-Benz plants. This ensures maximum efficiency, transparency and sustainability in a geopolitically increasingly volatile and challenging environment.
As a competence center for the digitalization of IT-based production, the Mercedes-Benz Digital Factory Campus is driving the development, testing and validation of future software applications and concepts for MO360 - in a real production environment. In the body shop, assembly as well as in technology cells, production processes are replicated and new features and software updates are tested before being transferred to real production lines. Virtual methods are combined with real-world validation. This shortens development time and increases robustness.
With the Mercedes-Benz Digital Factory Campus, we have created a beacon of transformation at our oldest production site. As a competence center and driver of our digitalization drive and with a future product portfolio in the field of e-mobility, we are transforming the traditional location into the future. One of the most important pillars of the transformation is our flexibility. We also achieve this through targeted qualification and retraining measures, offering pioneering new opportunities for our teams worldwide.
Jörg Burzer
Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG for Production, Quality & Supply Chain Management
MO360 Training and Qualification Center
The Mercedes-Benz Digital Factory Campus is also an MO360 Training and Qualification Center, where innovative training programs are developed for the entire Mercedes-Benz production network. Targeted qualification concepts are an important prerequisite for successfully managing the electrification and digitalization of the working world in both production and administration.
The digital learning platform LES, the Learning Environment System, which was developed at MBDFC and implemented at Mercedes-Benz Operations, offers the optimal attachment point for the work of colleagues thanks to its maximum flexibility.
The production environment is changing: Production facilities are becoming increasingly intelligent, networked and collect a large amount of data. Providing our employees with targeted training in the diverse topics of digitization and electrification is one of our most important tasks in the transformation. Our pioneers in Berlin are a very good example of the willingness to change and to pursue lifelong learning. The colleagues are now taking the next step into their digital future by completing their qualification.
Sabine Kohleisen
Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Human Relations and Labour Director
Transformation through qualification: Digital pioneers and D.SHIFT
Electrification and digitalization in the automotive industry are bringing changes to production and to all job profiles. With Turn2Learn, the company has launched a comprehensive qualification offensive to make employees fit for this transformation. For production employees, for example, the company offers specially tailored digital retraining with individual support and defined target positions. Following an initial successful pilot project in which employees - the so-called "Digital Pioneers" - from the Berlin plant, continue on their individual journey towards the career goal of "Junior Software Developer."Retraining continues in the Mercedes-Benz Powertrain plant in Untertürkheim, where "Digital Superheroes" from production and production-related areas, started their in-service qualification as Data Specialist in June. A special retraining program for Mercedes-Benz Operations is offered under the name D.SHIFT. D.SHIFT is part of the Mercedes-Benz qualification offensive Turn2Learn with a focus on production and puts the focus on the further training of digital competencies of employees. D.SHIFT describes the path of each individual in the transformation to the digital future.
Cooperation with strong partners from industry and science
With its broad offering geared towards IT-based production, the Mercedes-Benz Digital Factory Campus also relies on cooperation with partners from business and science; for example, with universities, research institutions and innovative industrial companies. Mercedes-Benz and Siemens, with the support of the State of Berlin, have already been working together on the sustainable digitalization and automation of the automotive industry since 2021. As a leading provider in the field of automation, industrial software and intelligent infrastructure, Siemens is contributing its expertise and technologies to the partnership for this purpose, in order to develop highly flexible, efficient and sustainable automotive production together with Mercedes-Benz. Optimized algorithms in the applied robotics of the production lines make it possible to operate more energy-efficiently and reduce production times.
Business and politics support transformation in solidarity
The state of Berlin supports the transformation of the Mercedes-Benz site in Berlin-Marienfelde as well as the partnerships with Siemens and other companies and institutions that are part of the excellent science and start-up landscape in Berlin.
More expressions about the Digital Factory Campus
„Digitalisation and electrification will define the future of industry and automotive production. The Marienfelde factory, with the opening of the Digital Factory sets new benchmarks for Berlin as a center for innovation. Here Mercedes-Benz has shown that transformation can happen together with employees. In 2020 the factory was faced with closure – today Marienfelde is a global centre of excellence for digitalisatioyand production continues. With the Digital Factory Campus the beginnings of a success story are now visible, setting an example for Industry, in Berlin and beyond.“
Franziska Giffey, The Governing Mayor of Berlin
“With the opening of the Digital Factory Campus, we have taken a further step in the transformation of the Berlin-Marienfelde location. This is an important signal for our colleagues in Berlin and elsewhere. With products in the field of electromobility and with the campus for digitization in production, the company is completely realigning its oldest location and creating a new vision of the future for our workforce. We are very proud of this.“
Fevzi Sikar, Chairman of the Works Council of the Mercedes-Benz plant in Berlin
"Here in Berlin-Marienfelde, we are taking a glimpse into the future: into the future of industry, into the future of CO₂-neutral production, into the future of work. But we know: Today's future is tomorrow's past. The digital transformation remains an ongoing task. We want to continue to support Mercedes-Benz in this transformation with our strong partnership."
Cedrik Neike, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and CEO Digital Industries
