Industrial Internet Consortium

Industrial Internet Consortium
Name	Industrial Internet Consortium
Abbreviation	IIC
Formation	2014
Type	Trade association
Headquarters	North America
Region served	Global

Industrial Internet Consortium

The Industrial Internet Consortium is a global industry consortium focused on accelerating the adoption of industrial Internet technologies and Internet of Things deployment in industrial sectors. It brings together companies, research institutions, and standards bodies to develop interoperability, reference architectures, and best practices that influence International Organization for Standardization initiatives, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers work groups, and consortia such as OpenFog Consortium and OMA SpecWorks. The consortium's activities intersect with projects by National Institute of Standards and Technology, initiatives from European Commission programs, and corporate strategies from firms like General Electric, IBM, and Siemens.

History

Formed in 2014, the consortium was launched by industry leaders including executives from General Electric, IBM, and Cisco Systems amid growing interest sparked by events like the Industrial Revolution's long-term technological lineage and policy discussions in forums such as the World Economic Forum. Early milestones included collaboration with the Open Group and cross-membership with Industrial Internet Consortium members from sectors represented at the Consumer Electronics Show and Hannover Messe. Over time the consortium expanded through partnerships with organizations such as ETSI, ISO/IEC, and research programs like Horizon 2020, influencing studies at institutions including Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Fraunhofer Society.

Mission and Objectives

The consortium's stated mission emphasizes accelerating Internet of Things adoption in industrial contexts by promoting interoperability among Operational Technology and Information Technology systems, fostering cybersecurity best practices consistent with standards from NIST and IEC, and producing reference architectures to guide implementations across sectors represented by Siemens, Boeing, ABB, and Schneider Electric. Objectives include enabling cross-industry collaboration among members drawn from associations such as Manufacturers Alliance and research bodies like Sandia National Laboratories, and influencing regulatory and standards dialogue involving European Commission and US Department of Commerce stakeholders.

Organization and Governance

Governance is structured around a board of directors composed of senior representatives from member organizations such as Microsoft, Intel, and AT&T, supported by technical steering committees and working groups that coordinate with standards bodies like IEEE and ISO. Leadership roles rotate among corporate and academic participants including professors from Carnegie Mellon University and executives with backgrounds from Honeywell and Rockwell Automation. Administrative functions are managed through member-elected committees and liaison programs with organizations such as IETF and W3C.

Membership and Partnerships

Membership spans multinational corporations, small and medium enterprises, startups, universities, and government laboratories including NASA and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, with tiered categories for founding members, contributing members, and academic affiliates. Strategic partnerships link the consortium to consortia such as Open Connectivity Foundation, research networks like CERN collaborations, and industry associations including Society of Manufacturing Engineers and Association for Supply Chain Management. Cross-membership enables joint initiatives with GSMA, TM Forum, and regional bodies like Japan External Trade Organization.

Working Groups and Projects

Working groups tackle topics such as architecture, cybersecurity, testbeds, and edge systems, collaborating on projects that include testbeds in manufacturing with partners like Boeing and energy-sector trials with firms such as ExxonMobil and Schneider Electric. Technical projects coordinate with academic research from Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley and engage standards efforts at IEEE Standards Association and IETF working groups. Notable activity areas intersect with initiatives like Smart Cities pilots, Industry 4.0 implementations showcased at Hannover Messe, and pilot deployments by Siemens and GE Digital.

Standards, Frameworks, and Publications

The consortium publishes white papers, reference architectures, and security frameworks that align with standards from ISO, IEC, and NIST guidance, influencing certification programs and interoperability testing used by vendors such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services. Publications are cited by industry stakeholders in reports from Deloitte, McKinsey & Company, and academic journals associated with IEEE Xplore and ACM Digital Library. Liaison work informs specifications from organizations like OpenFog Consortium, OMA SpecWorks, and oneM2M.

Impact and Criticism

Impact claims include accelerating pilot deployments across sectors represented by ABB, Boeing, and Siemens, contributing to interoperability dialogue with ISO/IEC JTC 1, and informing national cybersecurity strategies referenced by NIST and European Union Agency for Cybersecurity. Criticisms center on perceived industry bias favoring large vendors such as General Electric and IBM, challenges in reconciling competing interests among members including Intel and Cisco Systems, and debates over openness versus proprietary approaches raised in forums like GitHub discussions and at conferences such as the IoT Solutions World Congress.

Category:Technology consortia