Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award (MIMA) presented

For the competition, industrial companies from Europe, the Middle East and Africa were invited to submit digital solutions for the manufacturing, process, construction and automotive industries. After the first selection round, 16 finalists had the chance to present their projects to a high-caliber jury from the industry. The six award-winning projects were not only innovative, but also had the potential to drive digital change throughout the industry.

Jochen Gleisberg, Partner at Roland Berger and member of the expert jury, praised the award winners on their achievements: "Once again, we have seen just how creative and innovative some manufacturing companies can be in striving for operational excellence. Their solutions showcase an incredible dedication and commitment to accelerating future operations."

According to Paul Röhrs, Director Industry Advisor for Manufacturing and Mobility at Microsoft Germany, "The future of manufacturing will be shaped by smart data usage and the collaboration of workforce and AI-powered copilots. The Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award recognizes the most outstanding solutions driving this transformation. This year's winners exemplify the innovative application of next-generation technology to surpass traditional efficiency boundaries, achieving superior quality at reduced costs while enhancing sustainability. The MIMA celebrates this dedication and sheds a light onto continued advancements in the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry.”

Applicants for the MIMA 2025 were able to submit their top innovative achievements in five categories: Innovate!, Scale!, Add Value!, Disrupt! and Sustainability! The MIMA jury selected a winner in each category and an overall winner.

The award winners

The overall winner: This year's overall winner of the MIMA goes to Continental. The company has developed an AI solution that extracts customer requirements from complex documents, classifies them and assigns them to existing product features. This significantly increases efficiency when processing up to 30,000 requirements per project. The solution, which will soon be introduced at Continental Automotive, reduces the manual effort involved in extracting requirements by up to one eighth and allows new products to be introduced more quickly. The innovative tool optimizes the entire requirements management process for both Continental's customers and future suppliers.

Sustainability! Water loss management from the Nuremberg-based company Diehl Metering addresses the challenge of growing global water scarcity with an AI-based solution. Depending on the region, up to 40% of pumped water is lost during distribution worldwide. The 'Sensor to Value Chain' model enables utilities and industrial companies to reduce water losses and significantly improve the performance of their water networks. By analyzing large amounts of data, the technology locates leaks, can perform predictive maintenance and monitor water quality. As a result, the AI-driven smart metering solution not only reduces costs, but also contributes to better water management and significant water savings.

Disrupt!: The sensor technology experts at Sick have presented a new dual approach to monitoring production processes that combines AI and real-time process control. The result is greater production efficiency, less waste and better yield quality. The predictive system uses more than 5,000 production parameters to create a 'fingerprint' of faulty items and achieves 99% accuracy in predicting potential returns. At the same time, the process control system monitors and tracks components in real time and prevents errors before they occur. The intelligent assistance system supports employees in production, optimizes processes and enables significant cost savings across entire production lines.

Scale!: Zeiss Digital Innovation has developed a combination of virtual and physical measurement technology for modern precision manufacturing that integrates quality data into production. The IIoT solution can predict the quality of components in real time and enables immediate adjustment of production processes. The technology has led to significant productivity gains and cost savings, achieving its return on investment (ROI) in around six months. The broad applicability of the solution and the positive impact on customers underline its effectiveness and scalability in precision manufacturing.

Add Value: Cereal Docks, a multinational agri-food company, has implemented an AI-driven 'Predictive Factory' manufacturing solution with its technology partner MIPU. The implementation at eleven sites has increased machine utilization by 10% and reduced energy consumption by 8 to 10%. The number of unexpected machine failures fell by 98%. The scalable solution demonstrates the considerable potential that can be unlocked by using existing production data in combination with IoT elements.

Innovate: Philip Morris Manufacturing Technology Bologna has built a smart factory with a comprehensive digital architecture that uses AI and machine learning for real-time process optimization and predictive analytics. The digital ecosystem spans from tobacco processing to production and distribution, ensuring traceability and efficiency. Through the use of digital twin technologies and a focus on sustainability, losses have been reduced throughout the value chain. Philip Morris Manufacturing Technology Bologna has proven that it can quickly validate and deploy innovations across its global network. This demonstrates the scalability of the approach, which sees digital solutions as an integral part of tomorrow's production network.