Krones claims top honours at MIMA 2026
Krones has been named the overall winner of the Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award (MIMA) 2026, securing one of the industrial sector’s most coveted accolades for digital innovation.
The prize, awarded annually by Microsoft in partnership with strategy consultancy Roland Berger, recognises the German technology giant for pioneering new benchmarks in value creation through the integration of artificial intelligence and advanced digital modelling.
The jury singled out Krones for its development of a ground-breaking generation of Agentic Digital Twins. Unlike traditional digital twins that merely map existing production processes, these autonomous systems utilise AI to optimise manufacturing environments in real time. Initially validated in a rigorous test environment, the solution is now being prepared for large-scale application across the global beverage and liquid food industries.
The core of the award-winning technology lies in its ability to merge highly precise physical simulations with AI-driven decision-making. This integration allows complex production scenarios to be evaluated in a matter of minutes — a process that previously required several hours of manual simulation. By automatically testing various settings and learning from the data, the AI transfers optimal configurations directly to physical production lines, resulting in a more stable, resource-efficient, and streamlined manufacturing process.
Markus Tischer, the Krones executive board member responsible for digitalisation, noted that the achievement highlights the immense possibilities that emerge when digital tools and artificial intelligence are brought together. He explained that by combining these technologies with the company’s established mechanical engineering expertise, Krones is delivering innovations that serve as international benchmarks for the industry.
The project was the result of an intensive collaboration between Krones and a consortium of technology leaders, including Ansys (part of Synopsys), CADFEM, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and SoftServe. This partnership produced a fully integrated ecosystem that blends simulation, AI, and cloud technology into a singular, powerful tool designed for the future of industrial production.
As the leading award for industrial digitalisation across the EMEA region, the MIMA evaluates submissions through a multi-stage process led by an expert jury. Krones’ victory as the overall winner places it at the forefront of the digital shift in the engineering and operations sectors, further cementing its role as a primary driver of technological change in the packaging and filling markets.
