Interoperability refers to the ability of diverse systems, devices, applications, and software to work together and automatically exchange data and information.

How does interoperability work?

• To ensure that hardware and software from different vendors can seamlessly communicate, they rely on standardized interface protocols (APIs) and unified data formats.
• As a result, interoperability enhances efficiency by eliminating the need to manually adjust data, fosters innovation, and reduces operational costs.

Interoperability in practice

In the context of grant funding and subsidies, interoperability is most commonly applied in these areas:

• Healthcare – such as sharing electronic health records among physicians, hospitals, and other care providers.
• E-government – transferring data between public administration authorities and state databases to speed up citizen application processing.
• Industry 4.0 and IoT – real-time data transmission between production machinery, manufacturing execution systems, and related technology.