Digi Index 2024

Companies correctly identify the benefits, but do not go beyond their basic definition. This is consistent with the responses regarding the biggest challenges, where as many as 22% of respondents admitted they lack the knowledge of how to use data, while 21% do not consider transforming their strategy. This indicates that companies are either not seeking new benefits from digitalization or do not know how to leverage them differently within their current or future business models.

Why does this matter? Medium-sized companies almost always operate within value chains, often as suppliers to larger organizations. Market experience shows that companies positioned higher in the value chain typically demonstrate greater maturity in ESG and sustainability matters. This may stem from their strategic approach or, in some cases, from regulatory requirements imposed on them. What does this mean? To properly report on sustainability, including decarbonization efforts—for example, in the context of stock exchange reporting—these companies require data from other interconnected entities, including medium-sized manufacturing enterprises.

In business, competitive advantage can be built in many ways. Increasingly, however, the concept of climate competitiveness is gaining importance, as it is based on emissions-related data. A company that invests in digitalization and the acquisition of valuable ESG data at this stage of market development may soon become the most competitive supplier for large corporations. Consider an automotive company that has strategically committed to systematically reducing CO₂ emissions from its products (vehicles). Now take a closer look at its suppliers (manufacturing companies) that provide components (e.g. car floor mats). If a supplier is able to deliver not only the product but also reliable data on emissions associated with its production, it begins to compete not just on price, but also on the availability of valuable data supporting decarbonization processes and ESG strategies.

Climate change is currently one of the greatest challenges facing businesses, including the food industry, which relies heavily on natural resources. Modern sustainability strategies include ambitious targets not only for reducing the negative impacts of industrial production, but also for creating a positive environmental footprint and adapting to a changing climate. Companies are increasingly prioritizing sustainability — both to contribute to global efforts aimed at preventing the worst‑case climate scenarios and to ensure the long‑term viability of their own operations. Modern technologies play a crucial role in supporting these efforts.

What does this look like in practice, using the example of Grupa Żywiec? The level of digitalization in our breweries is very high. First and foremost, our breweries are connected to the IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things), which allows us to collect all relevant data from machines and additional sensors in the cloud. Furthermore, when data cannot be collected automatically or needs to be complemented by input from our employees, we have implemented various mobile applications that enable task management and event tracking within production processes.

How does this relate to sustainability? Looking at production priorities, reducing the consumption of utilities such as water, thermal energy and electricity is absolutely critical. This is where digitalization comes into play. I would also like to emphasize that the current performance of our breweries, across the entire HEINEKEN Group, is below benchmark levels — meaning we outperform expectations — and we are consistently recognized as a best‑practice example for other markets within the group. Thanks to the Industrial Internet of Things, we have the technical capability to connect utility meters across various areas, which allows us not only to monitor consumption in real time and trigger alerts when thresholds are exceeded, but also to analyze historical data and identify losses. By working in line with TPM (Total Productive Management) methodology, we do exactly that: we map out where utility losses are greatest, analyze their root causes, and determine how to eliminate them. Examples include:

• Optimization of energy consumption in the brewhouse kettle — by collecting machine data, we can observe and analyze which recipes consume the most energy, and even identify the most energy‑intensive stages of the process. We have recently developed and are testing a machine learning (ML) model that performs this analysis automatically and provides operational teams with recommendations on where to focus their efforts.
• Optimization of the heat exchanger cleaning process — thanks to connected data, we can monitor flow rates, temperature and water usage during cleaning. This allows us to precisely determine the optimal moment for cleaning.
• Monitoring utility consumption on the bottling line using dynamic targets that vary depending on the stage of the bottling process and are tracked in real time. This enables immediate response to any deviations from established standards.

Advanced analytics and real‑time monitoring help detect defects at an early stage, often already at the design phase. This ensures higher quality standards and reduces the number of defective products reaching the market. Digitalization also enables better coordination and visibility across the entire supply chain.

All of this leads to more efficient inventory management, shorter lead times and improved responsiveness to market demands. Digital technologies also make production processes more flexible, enabling manufacturing tailored to specific customer preferences. Importantly, by optimizing processes, digitalization helps reduce production costs, as well as waste and harmful emissions. As a result, digital tools help mitigate the environmental impact of industry, contributing to more sustainable manufacturing practices.

The Digi Index study conducted by Siemens makes it possible to track the progress of digital transformation in Polish industry. Importantly, the results are available for manufacturing companies operating in Poland across key sectors for the economy: food, chemical and pharmaceutical, machinery, and — closest to me due to my professional experience — the automotive sector, which I will focus on.

As this sector is undergoing a profound energy and digital transformation, it appears that the Polish automotive industry is adapting to the changing landscape, among other things by accelerating the digitalization of production processes. This trend has been visible since the early editions of the Siemens study — medium‑sized automotive companies consistently rank among the leaders. Among large companies as well, the Polish automotive sector ranks at the top and—importantly—as the only sector surveyed, it has improved its Digi Index score (from 2.9 in 2023 to 3.2 in 2024, on a scale from 0 to 4). This means it stands out from other industries with a clear and effective drive toward smart manufacturing, moving closer to the practical implementation of Industry 4.0 (scores between 3.6 and 4.0).

Companies in this sector are aware that there is no turning back from the implementation of digital technologies in the automotive industry. In conditions of global competition, this is in fact a decisive factor for survival. Whether the automotive industry remains a driving force of the European and Polish economy will depend on its ability to adapt to changes within the Fourth Industrial Revolution and to reach the level of global leaders, also in terms of the digitalization of production processes.