The HKI Association comprises two departments: the Department of Heating and Cooking Appliances and the Department of Catering Equipment. Digitalisation is firmly embedded across both departments and has become a key driver of the industry’s future development. It provides the foundation for innovation, efficient processes and the creation of new digital services that generate tangible value for manufacturers, planners and operators.
At a normative level, the association actively shapes the framework conditions required for digital solutions to be implemented in a practical, interoperable and market-ready manner. A particular focus is placed on open and standardised communication interfaces that can be used across manufacturers and devices, enabling seamless integration into higher-level systems and digital ecosystems.
Together with its members from both departments, the HKI Association works proactively on the development of such open standards. The objective is to establish solutions that are applicable across the market, future-proof and capable of supporting sustainable innovation throughout the industry. In this way, the association strengthens competitiveness, investment security and technological progress across both departments.
As digitalisation continues to advance, topics such as data availability, data quality, IT security and cybersecurity are gaining increasing importance. These issues therefore form an integral part of the association’s work, ensuring that member companies in both departments are well prepared for current and future digital challenges.