ABB Collaborates to Integrate Gen AI in Industrial Software

Global technology leader ABB has today launched Do More With Digital, a global campaign highlighting the opportunities for the process industries to realize their full potential through digital transformation. Leveraging its deep ties across pulp and paper, mining, metals and cement, ABB recognizes a significant opportunity to continue equipping these sectors with advanced industry-specific solutions, driving their digitalization journey and allowing them to accelerate their adoption curve in a shorter timeframe.

While these industries will continue to be enhanced through technology development using the likes of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI), data analytics, machine learning (ML), cloud and edge computing, they are also considered hard-to-abate due to the volume of production, location of operations, energy and heat chemistry, and many other factors. World Economic Forum1 reports that digital solutions can accelerate net zero in high-emission industries, delivering up to 20 percent of the total reduction that the International Energy Agency says is needed by 2050. ABB is leveraging its experience of previous energy transitions, its recent record in industrial software development, and its 140 years of heritage across multiple industries to guide customers on their digitalization journeys.

ABB has worked with customers across the process industries for decades, supporting with the deployment of digital solutions such as advanced process control (APC), energy management systems (EMS), and manufacturing execution systems (MES). These have evolved from original packages to become variations used for distinct industries, with their own tools and libraries, and remain the foundation for advanced technology progression. Customers recognize that they are at different stages of their digitalization journey often with starters (those embedding digital for the first time), stallers (those piloting a new advanced solution, often with a start-up) or scalers (those moving to the next level, perhaps with a technology company). ABB is currently working across this ecosystem to jointly design and develop new solutions for current and future needs.

“Adoption of advanced digital technologies is still much slower than one might expect in the process industries,” said Sanjit Shewale, Global Business Line Manager for Digital, ABB Process Industries. “Customers are facing new challenges in proving and scaling up solutions that will drive real, transformative change. However, there are opportunities for all parties to use technologies to retain knowledge of processes in their business as people retire or move on in shorter timeframes than was typical in the past. Through co-creation, there is the chance to show more and do more for positive investment decisions that quickly result in unprecedented levels of energy management, efficiency, sustainability, safety and service.”

ABB is currently working with fellow global technology companies to integrate the likes of Gen AI capabilities into the ABB Ability™ suite of industrial software, supporting industrial companies to improve data collection, unlock insights hidden in operational data, and enable significant gains in efficiency and productivity. Partnerships also exist for initiatives to accelerate the adoption of digital solutions to help industries meet their goals on net-zero emissions. One such example is real-time data transmission using cloud-based software integrated with ABB systems.

In the mining industry, digitalization is empowering companies to address their most pressing challenges around environmental impact, safety, and economic volatility. ABB’s industry-leading digital solutions leverage IoT, AI, and data analytics to optimize energy management, reduce carbon emissions, and integrate renewable energy sources. A prime example of this success is Boliden's Aitik copper mine in Sweden. Grinding mills are a critical but energy-intensive part of the mining process. Boliden collaborated with ABB to develop a digital twin of their grinding circuit, allowing them to test and optimize an advanced process control strategy in a virtual environment before implementation. This resulted in significant benefits including reduced energy consumption and improved process stability, demonstrating the power of digitalization for optimizing complex mining processes. Furthermore, ABB helps to safeguard workers through digitalization by removing them from hazardous environments and enabling real-time health and safety monitoring.

“The mining industry is crucial to modern economic development, yet it faces significant challenges in areas like safety, productivity, and environmental impact,” said Max Luedtke, Global Business Line Manager, Mining, ABB Process Industries. “At ABB, we recognize these complexities. Do More With Digital represents a vital step forward in the mining sector's digital transformation journey. By embracing advanced digital solutions, mining companies can unlock a new era of operational excellence and safety through remote monitoring, and even contribute to a more sustainable future through real-time data-driven decision making. This is the transformative power of digitalization, and ABB is committed to working hand-in-hand with our mining partners to turn this vision into reality.”