Catena-X surpasses 1,000 companies and accelerates its adoption across the automotive industry

Catena-X continues to expand its presence across the automotive industry. In September 2026, 1,069 OEMs and suppliers are already exchanging data through the ecosystem, compared with 182 in December 2025. In just nine months, the network has increased its number of active participants by more than fivefold.

This figure reflects more than an increase in connected companies. As the network grows, so do the experiences, use cases and accumulated knowledge of how to use data exchange in real-world situations across the automotive value chain.

From standards to real-world application

One of the key developments highlighted in the new State of the Network Report is Catena-X’s evolution towards an operational infrastructure for the automotive industry.

The results of different implementations show how data exchange based on common standards can have a direct impact on specific processes.

For example, in a quality management implementation involving BMW Group, Bosch and DENSO, certain issues can be detected an average of four months earlier. In addition, the time required to integrate the first component from a new supplier has been reduced from several months to five weeks.

Results have also been reported in other areas. Ford, Flex and Micron have exchanged verified primary data on product carbon footprints across three levels of the supply chain. In another case, Koller Kunststofftechnik reported a 51% reduction in the time spent calculating OEE and a 15% reduction in energy losses after implementing a Catena-X-certified solution.

These examples help illustrate where the value of Catena-X is evolving: not only in defining how data should be exchanged, but also in what companies can do with that data once the exchange is possible.

A growing ecosystem

Growth is also reflected in the composition of the ecosystem. In May 2026, 61 of the top 100 automotive suppliers identified by Berylls were already using Catena-X, supported by 73 certified application and service providers, 46 qualified advisors and 10 core use cases.

This development is taking place as Catena-X expands its international presence. In July 2026, a cross-border automotive data ecosystem between China and Europe was announced following a pilot involving BMW and CATL. In addition, the Catena-X hub for North America, AIAG, is already applying its standards to areas such as carbon accounting and supply chain traceability, while a similar initiative is planned in India for 2027.

International expansion points towards an increasingly relevant objective for a global industry: facilitating data exchange between companies and different markets through a common framework.

The economic impact is starting to be measured

The report also includes studies that seek to quantify the economic value associated with different Catena-X applications.

A study conducted by Audi, Volkswagen Group, the Technical University of Munich and Fraunhofer estimates €150–220 in gross annual savings per vehicle across three applications analysed, before taking investment and operating costs into account.

Meanwhile, an analysis by Accenture and Fraunhofer covering six applications estimates an EBIT increase of up to 7%, after taking investment and operating costs into account. The areas analysed include the circular economy, energy management, collaborative engineering, demand and capacity management, and quality management.

In a reference model for a manufacturer producing 2.1 million vehicles annually, the combined benefits amount to an estimated gross potential value of approximately €385 million per year, before investment and operating costs. In all cases, these are estimates based on economic models and should not be considered results that can be generalised to every company.

The next step: reaching more levels of the value chain

With more than 1,000 companies exchanging data, the next challenge is to continue extending participation to small and medium-sized enterprises and deeper levels of the supply chain.

To support this process, the Data Space Accelerator, backed by €23 million in funding, provides support for SME digitalisation until the end of 2026. Eligible companies can access funding of up to €15,000 for onboarding and certificate management processes, plus another €15,000 for a second use case, such as managing product carbon footprints through the exchange of verified data.

Alongside the expansion of the network, Catena-X identifies greater production use across different levels and markets, interoperability between regional data ecosystems, and the development of new standards related to Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs) and trustworthy artificial intelligence as priorities for its next stage.

What does this development mean for Spain?

For Catena-X ES, the Catena-X Competence Center for the automotive sector in Spain, the growth of the ecosystem also represents an opportunity to bring experiences to the Spanish automotive industry that may previously have seemed distant or difficult to translate into the reality of individual companies.

The more real-world use cases emerge, the easier it becomes to identify which solutions can address specific challenges, which lessons can be transferred to other contexts, and what opportunities are opening up for companies of different sizes and positions within the supply chain.

This is why this development is not only about reaching a certain number of participants. The growth of Catena-X is also creating an increasingly broad base of knowledge and experience on which to build.

At Catena-X ES, we will continue to bring these developments closer to the Spanish ecosystem and facilitate access to information, use cases and resources that can help companies better understand how Catena-X can fit into their own reality.

Further information

You can consult the original news article and the Catena-X State of the Network Report to explore the data and results presented in the report in greater detail.

View the State of the Network Report → Download

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