AWARD
The winners of the Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award 2026

Redefining factory performance with AI-powered digital twins

Bottling plant manufacturer Krones is introducing a new generation of AI-powered digital twins that combine physically accurate real‑time simulations with AI-supported reasoning and decision‑making. These models go beyond static virtual replicas by continuously optimizing processes and transferring insights directly into real production systems. Simulation cycles that previously took hours can now be completed within minutes. The AI evaluates multiple scenarios, adjusts key parameters such as speed or temperature, and identifies optimal configurations.

AI platform strengthens resilience and decarbonization

Adhesive tape manufacturer tesa has developed a modular AI platform for energy management, covering operations, planning, and procurement. The system forecasts energy flows and autonomously optimizes on-site assets to reduce both emissions and costs on the path toward climate-neutral production by 2030. Already deployed at three German production sites, the platform connects and monitors global energy data while optimizing the dispatch of CHP units and electric boilers in the day-ahead markets. The company is also piloting active flexibility trading. By turning energy management into a scalable, data-driven capability, the platform strengthens operational performance, improves cost competitiveness, and accelerates progress toward climate targets.

Digital Product Passport solution for eyewear

Addressing the growing demand for authenticity and transparency, EssilorLuxottica – a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of advanced vision care products, eyewear, and med-tech solutions – has developed a Digital Product Passport for eyewear. Through an interactive platform, consumers can access detailed information about each product – including specifications, production journey, brand heritage, and sustainability insights - while anticipating upcoming EU regulations. The solution debuted with the latest collection from Alain Mikli and will gradually roll out across the global brand portfolio of the company.

Tetra Pak ® Factory OS™ is unifying factory data to accelerate digital transformation at scale

Tetra Pak, a leading provider of food processing and packaging solutions, developed ® Factory OS™ – a modular suite of smart-factory technologies designed for food and beverage production. The platform unifies automation, data, and analytics into a factory‑wide operating environment, connecting equipment regardless of age or supplier. This transforms fragmented data into a real-time, contextualized view of operations. Designed for sites with different levels of digital maturity, the solution strengthens operational performance and enables digital transformation at scale. With security-by-design architecture, it provides an AI-ready foundation for faster and better operational decisions.

Industrial Work Surface provides agentic and physical AI for autonomous chemical operations

Kongsberg Digital, a technology company specializing in industrial software and digital twin solutions, developed the Industrial Work Surface, providing teams at Yara International’s Porsgrunn plant with a comprehensive digital replica of their production facility. The platform integrates high-resolution 3D scans, engineering models, plant structures, half a million documents, and 25 years of maintenance data in a single web interface. This enables remote collaboration, faster decisions, and contextual access to operational data. Employees gain immediate visibility of relevant information – from frontline technicians to management. The result: time savings, reduced maintenance backlog, improved reliability, and higher productivity.

Virtual Intelligence Orchestrator

Automotive supplier AUMOVIO developed a virtual intelligence orchestrator, an AI platform embedded directly into employees’ digital work environments. Teams can analyze documents, generate content, conduct research, and automate workflows using specialized AI assistants integrated into existing tools. Through the AI platform, employees can create task-specific-assistants – from coding compliance checks to contract analysis or troubleshooting technical failures in manufacturing. With more than 1,500 AI agents and over 21,000 users worldwide, the platform simplifies complex processes and accelerates access to knowledge across the organization.

AI-powered clinical evidence mining transforms regulatory intelligence

Medical device manufacturer Erbe Elektromedizin has developed EvidenceStream, an AI-powered platform that automates the extraction and structuring of clinical evidence from scientific literature. Developed with Flinn, the system performs systematic literature searches in compliance with the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR). Intelligent screening and extraction agents analyze publications across more than 60 device groups. The solution has halved the time experts require for certain tasks, while eliminating redundant data extraction across multiple departments. The platform turns regulatory compliance into a competitive advantage, freeing specialists to focus on higher-value scientific analysis and strategic decision-making.