How data from different sources can work together – and unlock new opportunities for cities, businesses, and infrastructure.
When dark clouds suddenly roll in and dim the city, streetlights automatically turn on. When an employee forgets to turn off the heating before the weekend, the system lowers the temperature on its own. A disruption in the rail network is immediately reported, preventing service interruptions.
All of this is technically possible today. And yet, in practice, these systems often remain isolated.
While the Internet of Things (IoT) enables data to be collected from devices and systems, it does not automatically make that data usable across organizations or applications. Data is generated everywhere — but it is rarely connected.
As a result, organizations today collect vast amounts of data from sensors, devices, and digital systems, yet much of it remains locked in silos. Exchanging and integrating this data across systems often requires significant — and unnecessary — effort.
The next step is the Economy of Things (EoT): moving beyond isolated data usage within individual systems toward seamless data exchange across organizations to create real value.
This requires connecting devices and systems in a way that enables interoperability and secure data sharing, regardless of underlying technologies. Only then can new digital business models and new forms of cross-organizational collaboration emerge.
This is exactly where FACIS comes in.
From Data Silos to an Integrated System
FACIS addresses this challenge by enabling data from different sources to be connected, processed, and made usable across applications and partners.
You can think of it like a customizable puzzle: each system contributes its own piece of data, and these pieces can be combined to create a complete picture.
The technical approach is based on reusable building blocks — so-called FAPs (Federated Architecture Patterns). These act as blueprints for digital infrastructure, allowing organizations to flexibly design their systems and build new data-driven use cases.
The result is an open, interoperable architecture that is not tied to a single provider and can evolve over time.
Turning Data into Value
Once data is connected, it can be used to create real impact.
The following examples show how connected data can be translated into real-world applications and new digital business models:
| Area | What happens? | Benefits | New Business Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Management | Energy data from buildings and systems is combined and made transparent | Lower costs, reduced energy use, improved sustainability | Pay-per-use billing, energy data as a service, optimization and consulting services |
| Urban Infrastructure | Street lighting and infrastructure systems adapt to real-world conditions | Lower energy use, improved traffic and environmental management | Lighting-as-a-Service, urban data platforms, data-driven city services |
| Infrastructure & Transportation | Assets and systems are monitored in real time | Early issue detection, fewer outages, better planning | Predictive maintenance as a service, operations optimization services |
| Industry & Manufacturing | Machines and processes are continuously analyzed and improved | Higher efficiency, reduced downtime | Performance-as-a-Service, optimization-as-a-service, data-driven production management |
| CO₂ & Sustainability | Emissions are measured and made transparent | Easier reporting, better environmental performance | CO₂ tracking as a service, ESG reporting, emissions-based control models |
| Data & Platforms | Data is securely shared across organizations | More collaboration, more value from existing data | Data-as-a-Service, platform ecosystems, data marketplaces |
In energy management, combining energy meters with building data enables transparent monitoring of consumption. Organizations can analyze energy flows, identify peak loads, reduce costs, and track sustainability goals.
In urban infrastructure, intelligent lighting systems can adapt dynamically to real-world conditions. At the same time, they generate data for traffic analysis, environmental monitoring, and infrastructure optimization — leading to lower energy consumption and reduced CO₂ emissions.
In transportation and industry, real-time data enables predictive maintenance. Systems can detect anomalies early and prevent failures before they occur.
Across all these scenarios, data becomes the foundation for more efficient operations, better decisions, and new services.
New Business Models Through Data
Connecting and sharing data also opens up new business opportunities.
Organizations can move from selling products to offering services:
- usage-based models (“pay-per-use”)
- data-driven optimization services
- predictive maintenance as a service
- data sharing between partners
Data itself becomes a valuable asset that can be used, shared, and monetized in a controlled way.
Try It Yourself
To make these concepts tangible, FACIS provides a demonstrator that allows organizations to explore real-world use cases in a controlled environment.
The demonstrator is based on realistic, pre-configured scenarios with continuously generated data. It enables users to:
- explore use cases such as energy monitoring, smart lighting, and infrastructure insights
- interact with live dashboards
- follow how data flows from devices through processing layers into analytics and visualization
- observe how changes in data affect results
- understand how data can be used for decision-making and automation
This allows organizations to experience how data-driven systems work in practice – and to identify relevant use cases for their own environment.
Do you have your own ideas? Let’s discuss how we can implement them in small pilot projects and develop them step by step.
