WEF 2025: How digital twins and AI are transforming global manufacturing.
At the World Economic Forum, leading global companies unveiled their vision for the future of the industry. One of the main topics was advanced technologies that promise to transform production and ensure its resilience in times of uncertainty.
This was discussed at WEF 2025 in Davos.
“Artificial intelligence has helped us reduce the system development time from eight days to two, doubling productivity,” stated Padraig McDonnell, CEO of Agilent. He emphasized that technologies not only lower costs but also make processes more efficient.
Investing in People – The Key to Success
Representatives from Nestlé highlighted the importance of workforce skill development. “We are focused on attracting talent and providing new opportunities for employees. Digital transformation requires training, especially in large teams like ours, which consists of 270,000 people worldwide,” noted Stephanie Pullings Hart, Executive Vice President of Nestlé.
AI in Action: 5 Key Areas
Mahindra Group identified five primary areas for the application of artificial intelligence:
- Agility.AI – real-time adaptation of production;
- Quality.AI – product quality analysis without destructive testing;
- Uptime.AI – reducing equipment downtime by 10–15%;
- Energy.AI – optimizing energy consumption in factories;
- Connected.AI – integrating all machines into a single network.
“Quality.AI allows us to check the integrity of welds without destructive testing. We use models that accurately determine if something needs to be corrected. This saves time and resources,” stated Anish Shah, CEO of Mahindra Group.
“In conclusion, artificial intelligence enables us to act faster, optimize processes, and create a better product for consumers,” added Shah.
Technologies as a Response to Challenges
Experts agreed that automation, artificial intelligence, and cutting-edge robotics are becoming indispensable tools in the face of constant change. However, the willingness to invest in the development of not only technologies but also people remains crucial.
Background. Previously, Mind reported what experts said in Davos about the future of Russia in 2025. “Putin wants us to believe that sanctions are ineffective, but the reality is much more complex,” noted the Swedish finance minister.