Open data and the AI resilience premium

Open data and the AI resilience premium The shift toward open collaboration Case study: The Catena-X network The battery passport Driving AI integrity The path forward The adaptable enterprise: Why AI readiness is disruption readiness About the author Adam Wealand More like this Why the future of AI depends on a portable, open PyTorch ecosystem How does real-world AI deliver value? The Ask Red Hat example Technically Speaking | Build a production-ready AI toolbox Technically Speaking | Platform engineering for AI agents Keep exploring Browse by channel Automation Artificial intelligence Open hybrid cloud Security Edge computing Infrastructure Applications Virtualization Share For many large companies, AI is on every agenda, yet many leaders are still trying to make sense of what to do next. A big reason for this uncertainty is that huge amounts of data are still locked away in separate departments or stuck in systems that don't talk to each other, making it hard to turn that data into real value. In 2026, the most forward-looking companies are starting to let go of the instinct to hold data tightly. Instead, they are focusing on what you might call a resilience advantage: working in open, collaborative networks that increase strength and flexibility instead of further isolation. In Germany, this shift is taking shape through Manufacturing-X , a shared digital network that helps companies exchange data in a more secure manner. Manufacturing-X is an umbrella initiative dedicated to establishing open, security-enhanced, and sovereign data ecosystems across various industries. This exchange isn’t about giving away intellectual property or sharing trade secrets; it’s about building a common foundation that lets AI improve decision-making by providing a complete view of the business and its partners. Manufacturing-X’s pioneering network, Catena-X , focuses on the automotive value chain and enables security-focused, end-to-end data exchange. As the flagship "X" project under Manufacturing-X, Catena-X is the blueprint for developing similar initiatives in other sectors, such as Aerospace-X and Factory-X. You can see how this open collaboration approach works in practice in the Catena-X network, which connects companies such as Micron, Denso , BMW , IBM , and Bosch. Catena-X provides a standardized “highway” built with production-grade security in mind that allows every company in the automotive supply chain to contribute its verified data. At the core of Catena-X's approach is the principle of self-sovereignty.