For the seventh time, Microsoft Germany and Roland Berger have recognized pioneering solutions for the manufacturing industry with the Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award (MIMA).
Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award North America 2026
By Gareth Hayes and Rohit Singh
The inaugural North American edition recognizes the future of intelligent operations
MIMA North America 2026 – Transforming Operations for the Intelligence Era
The inaugural Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award (MIMA) North America, jointly organized by Microsoft and Roland Berger, celebrates visionary manufacturers, industrial innovators, and operations leaders driving the next era of intelligent industry across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Following seven successful editions across EMEA, MIMA is launching in North America to spotlight organizations transforming manufacturing, supply chains, engineering, and industrial operations through AI, digital technologies, automation, and data-driven innovation.
Are you implementing breakthrough technologies in production, supply chain management, engineering, procurement, or industrial operations? Have you created measurable operational impact through AI, digitalization, sustainability, or intelligent automation? Then we want to hear from you.
The stronger your case demonstrates innovation, scalability, business value, operational transformation, and measurable outcomes, the stronger your application will be.
About the award
What are we looking for?
The Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award North America honors the region’s most innovative and impactful digital industrial solutions and operational best practices. We invite submissions from companies across manufacturing and industrial sectors, including automotive, aerospace & defense, industrial equipment, chemicals, energy, consumer goods, life sciences, logistics, mining, food & beverage, and advanced technology industries.
We are particularly interested in projects demonstrating:
- AI-enabled manufacturing and operations transformation
- Intelligent automation and industrial digitalization
- Factory, plant, and supply chain optimization
- Scalable operational excellence initiatives
- Sustainability and decarbonization impact
- Digital twins and connected operations
- Advanced analytics and industrial AI applications
- Workforce enablement through intelligent technologies
- New revenue streams enabled through digital industrial solutions
Applications are open to organizations headquartered or operating in North America, including the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Companies may submit internally developed solutions or implementations delivered together with technology partners, startups, or system integrators.
"The future of manufacturing will be defined by how effectively companies scale AI, automation, and intelligent operations across the enterprise. This award, from Roland Berger and Microsoft, highlights organizations demonstrating industrial innovation and operational excellence in North America."
Award categories
Prizes will be awarded across six categories, in addition to one overall North America winner.
Each submitted case will be evaluated holistically across all categories by a distinguished jury of industrial, technology, and consulting leaders.
Innovate! – Application of cutting-edge technologies to drive industrial innovation.
Scale! – Solutions demonstrating scalable operational or commercial impact across plants, functions, or regions.
Add Value! – Projects delivering measurable operational, financial, or productivity improvements.
Disrupt! – Transformational solutions are fundamentally reshaping industrial value chains or operating models.
Sustainability! – Industrial solutions driving measurable sustainability, energy, emissions, or circularity outcomes.
Why participate?
Finalists will receive:
- Recognition as one of the inaugural MIMA North America finalists
- Visibility through Microsoft and Roland Berger channels
- Executive-level networking opportunities with industry peers
- Invitation to the MIMA Champions Circle North America
- Featured exposure across award communications and content
Category winners will receive:
- Joint Microsoft and Roland Berger winner announcement
- Executive thought leadership visibility opportunities
- Potential participation in major industry events and conferences
- Professionally produced case-study marketing content
- Official MIMA North America trophy and recognition
MIMA Champions Circle North America
Beyond the awards themselves, MIMA North America aims to build an exclusive community of industrial innovators and operations leaders shaping the future of intelligent manufacturing.
The MIMA Champions Circle North America will bring together finalists, winners, technology leaders, and executives for ongoing networking, knowledge sharing, and collaboration opportunities focused on the future of industrial AI and digital operations.
Building on global momentum
The Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award has already established itself as a leading recognition platform for industrial innovation across EMEA, highlighting groundbreaking applications of AI, digital twins, intelligent automation, and sustainability-driven operations transformation. Recent winning solutions have demonstrated measurable gains in efficiency, resilience, productivity, and sustainability through the adoption of industrial AI. The launch of MIMA North America marks the next chapter in recognizing world-class industrial innovation globally.
Jury
The MIMA North America jury will consist of senior executives and experts from manufacturing, technology, industrial operations, academia, and consulting.
The jury will evaluate submissions based on innovation, scalability, measurable business impact, operational transformation, and future industry relevance.
Apply now
Applications for the inaugural Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award North America 2026 are now open.
Join the companies shaping the future of intelligent operations in North America.
Further readings
