Automotive Research Institute "Increase in Data Sharing Between Companies"
Focus on Data Sharing Platform 'Catena-X'
Could Become Various Regulatory Standards Within Years
Korean Companies Need to Actively Participate and Share Data
To respond to upcoming automotive regulations, there is a call to activate data sharing within the industry and encourage the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Since data sharing among companies is active not only in the United States and China but also in Europe, it is argued that Korean companies should also take the initiative.
On the 30th, the Korea Automotive Technology Institute (KATRI) announced this through a report titled "The Direction of Automotive Industry Data Sharing Implied by Catena-X." Catena-X is an automotive industry data sharing platform established in 2021 with the participation of 28 companies including automakers such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW, as well as parts, materials, and software companies. As of March, non-European companies such as Ford and Huawei have also joined, bringing the total number of member companies to 144.
This platform was influenced by Google and Baidu. As these companies accumulated large amounts of data to secure competitiveness, the European Union (EU) created Catena-X to secure digital sovereignty.
The goal of Catena-X is to respond to various regulations while strengthening the automotive industry's supply chain and competitiveness. After selecting 10 collaborative standards, it addresses carbon dioxide emission reduction and circular economy regulations through data sharing among companies. In particular, it specifies measures to protect rights such as data usage revenue to promote the participation of SMEs.
KATRI explains that participating in this platform makes it easier to respond to multiple regulations that will be introduced within a few years. It analyzed that companies not participating in the data sharing ecosystem may be excluded from the supply chain itself in the future.
For example, Catena-X is considered a strong candidate platform for the 2026 automotive battery passport regulation. The battery passport is a system that allows real-time viewing of information such as the origin of materials and recycling history of automotive batteries with a capacity of 2 kWh or more. Companies participating in Catena-X can immediately access this information or prepare in advance to comply with regulations.
KATRI stated that data sharing among companies is necessary to respond to various regulations, and in Korea’s case, a plan that includes SMEs is required. Seohyun Lee, Senior Researcher at KATRI’s Industry Analysis Office, said, “In Korea, where the industrial structure is more vertical than other countries, parts companies will be reluctant to share data if data usage rights and revenue rights are not guaranteed.”
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