# Advancing BIM and Sustainability with Coopetition: Evidence from the Portuguese Stone Industry
## 6 Implementation of the Coopetition Experimental Pilot Network  
The emergence of the IoT marks a transformative era, significantly influencing ecosystems through sophisticated sensor technologies that enhance connectivity and data exchange [52]. Building on traditional IoT frameworks, IIoT introduces intelligence to industrial settings, facilitating direct device-to-device communication and supporting the creation of intelligent artefacts that dynamically adapt to user interactions and enhance value co-creation [53]. Empirical evidence highlights the transformative potential of IIoT-based innovations in fostering novel service offerings, such as remote control and predictive maintenance solutions [54]. These capabilities advance operational efficiency and open new avenues for value co-creation within coopetition frameworks, expanding service portfolios and enhancing enterprises' competitive and cooperative capacities [55].  
An example in the OS-PT sector is an IIoT artefact developed through the Inovstone4.0 R&D Project [18]. This IIoT system was designed to connect ornamental stone companies with the digital market [49], refining product specifications and promoting value co-creation between providers and customers, thereby improving customization and operational productivity [56].  
The current state of Cockpit4.0 epitomizes the IIoT capacity to redefine market dynamics through direct engagement and collaborative efforts.  
Although developing IIoT technology was not within the scope of this research, Cockpit4.0, representing the state-of-the-art in the OS-PT [57], was evaluated as a starting point for transforming the operational technology that facilitates coopetition in the CEPN. This required some additional developments to the artefact. To further harness this potential, new functionalities were added to Cockpit4.0, such as enabling secure connections between competitor firms, resulting in an advanced version called Cockpit4.0+ for this research. This new IIoT artefact, specifically designed to connect rival OS-PT firms, brought enhanced technological capabilities and fostered a collaborative industrial environment conducive to a coopetition network.  
OPC-UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture) is a crucial protocol for IIoT because it enables secure and reliable communication between diverse industrial devices and systems [53]. It provides a standardized framework that facilitates interoperability and data exchange across different platforms and manufacturers, essential for the seamless integration of various components in an IIoT ecosystem.  
OPC-UA allows different devices and systems to communicate and work together, regardless of their underlying technology. This is vital in IIoT environments where equipment from multiple vendors must interact efficiently [58].  
Embedding OPC-UA Cockpit4.0+ bridges gaps in connectivity, efficiency, and responsiveness, fostering an ecosystem where firms thrive through collective innovation and adaptive strategies. Cockpit4.0+ integrates technological innovations like artificial intelligence to promote a collaborative industrial environment, ensuring sustainable operations and maintaining SMEs' competitiveness in a dynamic market.  
Once Cockpit4.0+ was available, even as a prototype, the implementation of the CEPN began. Three companies recognized as leaders in the OS-PT sector were formally connected (Figure 1) in a real cooperation network. These companies could now operate in some domains, like a single factory linked to BIM architects' stations, regardless of their geographical locations.  
In each company involved in the CEPN, a Cockpit4.0+ was installed, ensuring secure connectivity between the network companies and capturing potential connections to BIM operators interested in prescribing customized stone on a global scale.