BMW Group enters next phase with Catena-X: carbon measurements from raw material through to end product modelled in a data chain for the first time

The BMW Group showcased current fields of application for the Catena-X data ecosystem at the Hannover Messe. Working together with partners and suppliers, the company has modelled a complete data chain for the first time using real-world CO₂ data from the manufacture of the iconic kidney grille on the BMW iX. The company also demonstrated the benefits of data-driven quality work. 

“We – the BMW Group and our partners – will use the radical new collaboration approach embodied by Catena-X to improve our value creation processes within the context of sustainability, supply security and quality – and at the same time reduce costs,” announced Oliver Ganser, Vice President Digitalisation of the Purchasing and Supplier Network at the BMW Group and Chairman of the Board of Catena-X e.V., at the Hannover Messe. “The more national and international companies come on board, the greater the added value for all concerned,” added Ganser.

Catena-X makes its debut in production.
At BMW Group Plant Landshut, the company is piloting data-based energy consumption measurement in the manufacture of a whole component for the first time. “Together with our partners, we are using the Catena-X data ecosystem to calculate the product carbon footprint (PCF) of the kidney grille on the BMW iX,” explained Sabrina Schrangl, Project Lead Catena-X BMW Group Component Manufacturing. The iconic kidney grille on the BMW iX serves as an optimum application example here due to its complexity.

The PCF is calculated based on the Catena-X rulebook and covers all “grade-to-gate” emissions generated during the product’s manufacture – starting with the extraction of the raw materials, through the emissions generated in the supply chain to the manufacturing processes at the production facility. Here, the partners use the Catena-X-certified CO₂ application from Siemens AG, which enables data exchange (based on the Catena-X calculation logic) and connectivity between Plant Landshut and high-performance plastics supplier Covestro AG.

Looking further ahead, the aim will be to record all data until the end of the life cycle (cradle-to-grave) and so enable a circular economy across industries over the long term.

Catena-X enables improved quality at the BMW Group by using a data-driven instead of hardware-based approach.
By introducing a shared “language” for all companies in the automotive value chain, the data ecosystem enables smooth exchange of data. Catena-X members can use this data in their quality assurance processes to carry out an early-warning analysis based on field data. At present, the BMW Group exchanges data with Robert Bosch GmbH on the particle sensor and steering gear, among other things. In this way, patterns and anomalies can be identified up to four months earlier, often before an error or fault occurs. In the future, we will look to replace alternative cooperation channels with Catena-X in order to enable rapid, resource-efficient implementation in the area of quality assurance.