“As the inventor of the automobile, we’re reinventing its production processes,” explains Markus Schäfer, member of the Mercedes-Benz Cars Division Executive Board, praising Factory 56 . The future of automotive production will have three basic features. It will be digital, flexible and, in the best sense, green. As a result, Industry 4.0 technologies will be used throughout the production process. Artificial intelligence, big data analysis, and predictive maintenance are designed to make production, including planning, control, and quality control, efficient and flexible. The hall itself is supplied with power via a photovoltaic system and CO₂ emissions at Factory 56 are expected to be 75% lower than today’s S-Class production in Sindelfingen.

Sustainability and energy efficiency are playing an increasingly important role in the industrial production of the future, not least because of the sharp increase in energy prices. Modern automation and networked energy management can make significant contributions to this. Rapid modernization of lighting promises rapid efficiency gains without intervention in existing processes, which is why suppliers like Deutsche Lichtmiete in Oldenburg have been quite successful with their rental model for managed LED lamps. However, most of the heat and compressed air performance is often lost in industry because of leaks, oversizing or unreasonably high costs in compressed air preparation. Festo Energy Saving Services even expects potential savings of up to 60% in this area.