en.Wedoany.com Reported - Unilever is advancing a multi-year initiative in partnership with Accenture, planning to develop over 40 new digital twins within the next 18 months. The technology has already delivered quantifiable results across several of its global manufacturing facilities.
Specific achievements include Unilever's plant in Raeford, North Carolina. This facility uses AI-driven digital twin technology to produce personal care brands such as Dove, Degree, and Axe. The system predicts 95% of process constraints in deodorant stick production, reducing waste by 20% while increasing manufacturing capacity by 10%.
Digital twins, as virtual replicas of factory equipment and production lines, use real-time production data to model the performance of machines and processes. When combined with AI-driven analytical and agent capabilities, manufacturers can predict maintenance needs, identify production issues earlier, and simulate process improvements on the factory floor before actual implementation.
The expanded deployment is part of Unilever's broader strategy to accelerate AI adoption in manufacturing operations and supply chains. Adam Raeburn-James, Unilever's Vice President of Global Digital Business Operations, stated that extending AI into operations is not just a technological shift but a commitment to superior products, sustainability, and empowering factory teams. By accelerating digital twins in collaboration with Accenture, the company is turning innovation into measurable impact, building desired brands for 3.7 billion consumers worldwide.
Accenture is supporting the deployment of industrial AI capabilities that combine advanced analytics with AI agents to help predict equipment maintenance needs, improve operational performance, and enable manufacturing teams to respond more quickly to changing production conditions. As confidence in the technology grows, certain process adjustments can be automated under human supervision.
Nicole van Det, Accenture's Netherlands and Nordic CEO and Unilever's Global Client Lead, noted that Unilever has long been renowned for its supply chain excellence, and expanding the use of digital twins in manufacturing reflects the company's ongoing focus on technology and talent. By investing early in AI, the company is setting a standard for combining advanced tools with intelligent process design and disciplined execution on the shop floor, with both parties jointly establishing a benchmark for industrial AI to create long-term value in the consumer goods sector.
Beyond North Carolina, Unilever has already deployed digital twins at several international manufacturing plants. An energy digital twin at its Haldia, India facility has reduced thermal energy consumption in detergent production, while systems in plants in Poland, India, and Vietnam have helped improve product consistency, reduce production downtime, and lower raw material waste.
The next phase of deployment will create over 40 additional digital twins in the next 18 months, establishing a blueprint for scalable adoption across Unilever's global manufacturing network, enhancing efficiency, product quality, and sustainability through AI-driven operations.
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