In conversation: Benjamin Beck on his role as project coordinator in the Fluid 4.0 project

Large research projects thrive on technical innovation – but also on people who maintain oversight, facilitate communication, and bring teams together. Our colleague Benjamin Beck shares insights into his work as consortium coordinator of the BMWK-funded project Fluid 4.0.

About the project

The joint research project Fluid 4.0 was initiated by our chair together with Bosch Rexroth and the VDMA Fluid Power Association. Since January 2024, 15 partners and 13 associated partners have been working to digitize industry-relevant use cases in fluid technology using Asset Administration Shells. The project runs until July 2026.

© CFLab 2025

About the person

Benjamin Beck studied mechanical engineering at TU Dresden and has been a research associate at our chair since 2013. He has been involved in numerous publicly funded and industry-financed projects – including the joint project Bauen 4.0, which significantly advanced the automation and networking of construction machinery.

Since 2023, he has headed the Digital Construction Site Laboratory at CFLab, and since 2025 he has also been responsible for the lab's strategic development as CSO. Together with Martin Hankel (Bosch Rexroth), he coordinates the Fluid 4.0 project.

What does Fluid 4.0 do?

The project has a clear mission: to simplify and automate use cases across the entire product lifecycle of fluid technology systems using Asset Administration Shells. Key questions include:

• How can machines and components be digitally described so that information flows seamlessly between partners?
• What data is needed for efficient system engineering, energy monitoring, or CO₂ accounting?
• How do we create open, interoperable results for the entire industry?

Project results are regularly presented to the public – including at Hannover Messe 2024–2026, bauma 2025, and Agritechnica 2025.

The Coordinator's Role

Benjamin Beck describes his role as something like a "product manager for the project":

• Preparation, moderation, and follow-up of project meetings
• Ensuring collaboration through shared work environments
• Communication internally (partners, work package leads) and externally (funding agency, steering committee)
• Focus on open-source building blocks as a contribution to the community

"For me, coordination is not just administration. It's a crucial lever for creating value," says Beck. "I enjoy organizing and leading consortia because different perspectives come together – and that's where something new emerges."

Outlook

The coming months promise to be exciting: The team is working on new hackathons, developing demonstrators, and testing communication via data spaces. A personal highlight for Benjamin Beck will be the closing event in summer 2026.

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Further information: Project website fluid40.de | Project launch news | Article in O+P Fluidtechnik | Podcast with Benjamin Beck