Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award Winners 2021

AWARD
Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award Winners 2021

February 24, 2022

Roland Berger and Microsoft are excited to present the winners of the 2021 Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award (MIMA).

MIMA honors creative and innovative digital solutions that are paving the way for a new, transformative generation of manufacturing. Participants were asked to submit innovative projects in the sphere of production, purchasing, supply chain management, engineering and operations.

"Our award ceremony is a barometer for the latest developments in the manufacturing industry and tracks down the best solutions."
Portrait of Jochen Gleisberg
Senior Partner
Stuttgart Office, Central Europe

This year, Roland Berger and Microsoft received numerous outstanding submissions from DACH companies that are leading the way to enhance the role of digitalization, sustainability, adaptability and more in the world of manufacturing . MIMA recognizes the tireless work and groundbreaking solutions these companies have put forth. “We are pleased that so many applications came in this year that focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning. After all, this is the future of the manufacturing industry,” said Jochen Gleisberg, Senior Partner Operations at Roland Berger.

Using the motto “Bring Data to Value”, applicants competed in five categories (Innovate!, Scale!, Add Value!, Envision!, and Sustainability!) to demonstrate their innovative excellence. Once an initial selection round narrowed down the entries, a select group of finalists presented their projects during a virtual pitch day via Microsoft Teams. Finally, the MIMA advisory board, acting as the award jury , chose one winner per category plus an overall winner.

MIMA 2021 Winners
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Roland Berger would like to thank all the participants involved in MIMA 2021. Thanks to your innovative efforts, the manufacturing industry is continuing to grow and evolve. We hope to see even more applications for MIMA 2022.

Overall Winner: Dürr Systems AG

Use of Artificial Intelligence in malfunction analyses

Dürr Systems AG was able to secure the overall victory through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in industrial production facilities. With its DXQanalyze solution, production data can be evaluated at both machine and factory level to identify anomalies and establish correlations across numerous production steps. This can prevent machine downtime and reduce scrap, as demonstrated by the example of large paint shops for automotive manufacturers.


The aim is also to detect previously unknown sources of error in combination with historical data and machine learning and to derive optimization measures for production operations. Dürr Systems AG thus offers one of the first market-ready solutions with AI capable of increasing the overall plant effectiveness of paint shops.

"Collect, evaluate, predict - our digital products aim to increase overall equipment effectiveness, and the DXQanalyze-Product family is an important component in this," says Dr. Jochen Weyrauch, CEO, Dürr. "Using machine learning, the software detects impending wear as well as anomalies and derives suitable measures. Winning this award not only makes us very proud, but at the same time reinforces our vision of a fully digitized paint shop."

Innovate! Haselmeier + plus10

Advanced use of AI learning and problem-solving

Haselmeier a medmix Brand won in the Innovate! Category with their technology start-up plus10 that develops a self-learning optimization software in the Medtech and Pharma sphere. The AI machine learning technology allows for greater productivity and efficiency within highly automated production lines.

Scale! WITTENSTEIN SE + XITASO

Standardizing digital twins in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) world

WITTENSTEIN SE won in the Scale! category with their high-growth potential digital twin product that allows WITTENSTEIN products to communicate with each other in the world of IIoT. Because the digital product twin can be integrated worldwide, Wittenstein SE’s digital twin allows machine and plant builders to choose any IIoT platform and gateway. This massively simplifies procurement information and the independence of all players is preserved through the use of open standards. The solution promises tremendous growth potential and can be used in all areas of the manufacturing industry.

Add Value! Robert Bosch

Desired business outcomes driven by personalized insights

The winner in the Add Value! category is Robert Bosch’s digital twin, which lets machines communicate with plant workers. The innovation identifies hidden inefficiencies and disruptions, enabling workers to identify manufacturing bottlenecks and eliminate constraints through digital interventions. Running on Microsoft Azure, the solution simplifies complex automation for customers by collecting machine-generated data and helping workers run their production environment in a more cost-efficient and/or optimal way. This creates an ecosystem where every individual in the company is empowered to make data-driven business decisions.

Envision! BMW Edge Ecosystem

Creating a visionary platform with synergies for the entire process chain

BMW won in the Envision! category for their visionary innovation - the BMW Edge Ecosystem allows non-IT people in production to participate in the latest state-of-the-art technologies (containers, edge, cloud computing, etc.) through the conversion of any computer into compatible edge devices. This offers plant employees the possibility to install, configure and maintain prefabricated applications and algorithms on decentralized production-related edge devices in self-service. This can be done without specific IT knowledge via a self-service portal, enabling production employees to become active digitalizers. This then reduces the effort required in asset management per device from two hours per year to 20 minutes per year.

This product is currently being used internally at BMW, but external partners and suppliers will also be able to integrate it into their software and hardware easily and without adjustments

Sustainability! Wienerberger + SAS

Setting the standard for automated energy and emissions reduction

As the winner of the newly instated Sustainability! category, Wienerberger received this award for implementing process to optimize energy consumption during energy-intensive production processes for its 130 plants and thereby setting a new standard for Europe.

Wienerberger AG has taken on a pioneering role in the construction industry and deployed data analytics solutions as quickly as possible and in as many plants as possible. The project has one goal in mind: to save energy and reduce emissions through data-driven optimization of parameter settings while ensuring quality.

MIMA 2021 Finalists

In addition to the six winners, several other innovations made it to the final round of MIMA 2021. These finalists presented their cases on Pitch Day via Microsoft Teams. All MIMA winners and finalists will gain access to the prestigious MIMA Champions Circle (CC). This exclusive group includes representatives from the companies of all previous top 15 MIMA cases. CC members can enjoy networking opportunities, educational webinars and more.

  • ABB AG: Real-time fleet monitoring for emissions monitoring systems
  • BASF SE: Simulations for designs and automatic material determination
  • Continental Automotive GmbH: Holistic Industry 4.0 eco-system
  • Covestro AG: Centralized data architecture for visualization, investigation, system troubleshooting and self-service analysis functions
  • Diehl Metering: MES harmonization and blueprint for other companies
  • Festo SE & Co. KG: Festo AX - AI for automation technology
  • Lohmann GmbH & Co.KG: Digital twin for an energy-efficient manufacturing process for environmentally friendly production of hybrid adhesive tapes
  • MORYX Industry by PHOENIX CONTACT GmbH & Co. KG: Networked manufacturing processes similar to a Smart Home
  • SMART PRESS SHOP GmbH & Co. KG + Syntax: Fully automated IT infrastructure and production facility

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