Catena-X Automotive Network e.V., working with the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) and VDA China, has launched a cross-border automotive data ecosystem connecting Europe and China.
The initiative is designed to provide trusted infrastructure for secure and sovereign industrial data exchange. It will be operated in China by Zhonglian, Catena-X’s second operating partner and its first outside Europe, allowing the ecosystem to operate closely with the requirements of the Chinese automotive industry.
Catena-X is designed to allow battery passports to be created from real supply chain data and recognised under both Chinese and European requirements. A pilot project has already demonstrated the sovereign data exchange model, with wider deployment now planned.
The launch comes as regulatory demands on global supply chains increase. The EU Battery Regulation will make battery passports mandatory from February 2027, requiring verifiable supply chain and carbon footprint data for batteries used in electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.
China also has regulations governing the transfer of strategically important industrial data, including data classified as “important data”. Without shared infrastructure, companies seeking to transfer such information across borders may need to apply to the Cyberspace Administration of China, a process that can take up to five months without guaranteeing approval.
Operations are expected to begin in mid-November 2026, with companies across China’s automotive industry invited to join and help shape the ecosystem around operational needs and business use cases.
Oliver Ganser, Chairman of the Board at Catena-X, said: “Global automotive supply chains are increasingly reliant on trusted data exchange. Without it, compliance becomes more complex, more costly, and more fragmented. By establishing a dedicated operating partner in China, we are putting the infrastructure in place to enable secure, sovereign data exchange at scale, allowing companies to meet regulatory requirements such as the EU Battery Regulation while protecting intellectual property.
“This is how the industry moves from fragmented data flows to a shared, operational standard that works globally. And crucially, this is an open, interoperable ecosystem … so any qualifying, certified company can offer their solutions on the open marketplace.”
Under the agreements supporting the launch, Zhonglian will operate core market services and act as the regulatory interface, while Catena-X, CAAM and VDA China continue to lead strategy, standards and governance. Cofinity-X will provide technical licensing and support for interoperability and ramp-up.
The initiative builds on almost four years of Catena-X activity and investment in China, including partnerships and data infrastructure designed to support sensitive information transfers.
Image: L-R Claus Cremers, Oliver Ganser, Bingfeng Fu, Lin Zhang, Wang Yao. Credit: Catena-X.
