Abstract:
Global supply chains can be regarded as increasingly complex networks of Distributed Production Systems. They often lack transparency and do not allow the tracing of products. To overcome these limitations and to achieve more efficient and sustainable value streams, the implementation of blockchain technology as a data management system is a promising approach. However, there is a wide gap between theory and practice. By interconnecting globally distributed learning factories, global supply chains can be simulated. In this regard, learning factories have the potential to contribute overcoming this gap by enabling learners to gain practical knowledge and to simulate production systems and processes on a small scale. This paper introduces the concept of the Internet of Learning Factories enabling practitioners to test application concepts in the context of distributed production, e.g. blockchain technologies. The concept is implemented in the Indo-German Center for Sustainable Manufacturing, a cooperation between Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany, and BITS Pilani, India, and improves the teaching and learning experience within a joint student seminar.