From Factory Floor to Kubernetes Core: Building an Edge Platform One Step at a Time

From bread counting to waste sorting systems - when building a platform for the edge, requirements quickly pile up. The Schwarz Group is a global leader in retail, recycling, and food production through its key divisions Lidl, Kaufland, PreZero and Schwarz Production and therefore plays a critical role for innovation and sustainability across diverse industries. Join us to learn how we built a production-grade edge platform for diverse manufacturing use cases, starting from scratch. We’ll share our step-by-step journey of evolving from basic machine connectivity to a fully automated, secure, and developer-friendly Kubernetes-based platform. You’ll learn about the challenges we faced, the architectural decisions we made, and practical insights on requirements like cost efficiency, security, and high availability. Whether you’re just starting with edge computing or looking to scale your existing solutions, this talk offers real-world lessons from the factory floor.