Dorian Gast is partner at Concept Reply, a leading developer of customized software solutions in Munich. To future-proof industrial companies, he focuses on strengthening connectivity - both within organizations and through strategic alliances.

Mr. Gast, we are delighted to have you at the INDUSTRIAL FUTURE DAY 2025. As a software development company, Concept Reply helps businesses become more digital, efficient, and sustainable. Could you give us a brief overview of your key areas of focus and how you operate?

Dorian Gast: Our core competencies as a software development company lie in IoT and cloud computing. Simply put, we connect machines and objects in industrial environments. We support companies in automating their processes, building future-proof IT infrastructures, and implementing customized AI solutions. Another key area for us is sustainability and circular economy. We help our clients achieve their sustainability goals and optimize resource efficiency. A third focus, which is becoming increasingly important, is cybersecurity.

Our customers are typically large mid-sized companies that compete globally and have the vision and determination to drive significant change. We have 120 employees, most of whom are developers. In our projects, we increasingly collaborate with management consultancies, where we typically take on technological planning and the implementation of digital transformation strategies. For future-proof solutions and infrastructures, we naturally require high-performance components. In the chip sector, for example, we collaborate with our partner NVIDIA.

Could you give us specific examples of use cases and results?

DG: For the forklift manufacturer Kion, we implemented a digital truck platform. What many people don’t know: almost every forklift delivered is individually configured for the respective end customer. This involves specifications for components such as tires, battery, load capacity, forks, tilt angle, lift height, and more. The challenge for our customer was to structure the service organization in such a way that a technician could immediately analyze remotely which product configuration was involved and where the error lay in the event of a service case. Additionally, the machine itself should be able to report a malfunction to the service team.

We implemented all of this with an integrated platform. Furthermore, end customers can now easily book new features, for example, increasing the range and speed of the vehicles. They can also view the parameters of each vehicle in real time, such as operating hours. This is an important factor in the rental business. The automated processes and the central platform result in significant efficiency and cost savings. This also highlights a general trend: In global competition, it is usually no longer enough to simply build better machines. Instead, we must also leverage the possibilities of digital technologies to improve system integration and service. This is where the greatest need for change exists.

"In global competition, simply building better machines is usually no longer enough."

What developments do you observe regarding the future of the industry, and how do you think companies should position themselves?

DG: I believe it is important for companies to strengthen their networking with one another. Every successful company has an individual focus, which typically defines its excellence and intellectual property. Many global market leaders in Germany operate in relative isolation. When acting alone, they often struggle to drive innovation and further develop their business. It makes sense to open up to a certain extent. This does not mean revealing business secrets, but rather facing the market together and building bridges. We observe that companies in today’s competitive environment can benefit greatly from entering strategic partnerships to foster technological innovation.

For example, traditional component manufacturers are each fighting for market share individually. They could benefit from a shared data and process format that enables secure information exchange and provides a complete representation of a system. This approach benefits both the manufacturers and their customers. It allows for faster creation of digital twins and the digital integration of the supply chain. The principle is simple: development costs are shared, and everyone benefits from the outcome. This is the true value of such strategic alliances. This can take place through classic associations such as the VDMA or through more specialized organizations like the Open Industry 4.0 Alliance or the Eclipse Foundation, where we are actively involved.

Please give us a brief preview of your presentation at INDUSTRIAL FUTURE DAY 2025. What can participants look forward to?

DG: I will present additional exciting case studies and concrete approaches for digital transformation, demonstrating how companies can become more efficient, sustainable, and successful. Furthermore, I want to encourage attendees not to spend too much time on business cases and feasibility studies but instead to take a hands-on approach—quickly develop an application, conduct a friendly-user test, and gather feedback. This alone can significantly accelerate the pace of innovation.

REGISTER NOW FOR THE INDUSTRIAL FUTURE DAY 2025

Find out from Dorian Gast at our event how digital technologies are helping to precisely network machines and processes in industry and analyse them in real time.

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(EVENT IN GERMAN LANGUAGE)

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