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Unilever, Accenture Scale AI Digital Twins Across Global Factories
Consumer goods giant Unilever has announced a strategic partnership with Accenture to scale the deployment of AI-enabled digital twins across its global manufacturing network.
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The multi-year initiative is designed to improve product quality, increase operational efficiency, reduce waste, and help factories respond more quickly to changing consumer demand.
The move represents another milestone in Unilever’s broader digital transformation journey as it continues to integrate advanced technologies throughout its value chain.
AI and Digital Twins to Drive Smarter Manufacturing
Digital twins are virtual replicas of factory equipment and production lines that use real-time operational data to monitor performance, predict issues, and optimise processes.
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By combining these digital models with AI-powered insights and agentic capabilities, Unilever aims to equip factory teams with advanced tools that can identify potential problems earlier, simulate solutions faster, and support more informed decision-making.
As part of the programme, Unilever plans to create more than 40 additional digital twins over the next 18 months, establishing a scalable blueprint that can be replicated across manufacturing sites worldwide.
“Scaling AI across our operations isn’t just a technological shift; it’s a commitment to superior products, sustainability, and empowering our teams across our factories,” said Adam Raeburn-James, Global VP for Digital Business Operations at Unilever.
Delivering Measurable Results Across Global Sites
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The technology is already producing tangible results across multiple Unilever factories.
At Raeford, North Carolina, digital twins supporting Dove, Degree and Axe deodorant production predict 95% of process flow restrictions, helping reduce waste by 20% while increasing capacity by 10%.
In Haldia, India, an energy twin used in powder detergent production has optimised temperature controls and fan speeds, contributing to significant reductions in thermal energy consumption.
At Gandhidham, India, one of Unilever’s largest personal care facilities in South Asia, a digital twin has helped lower product quality defects by 30% through real-time process recommendations.
Additional deployments in Poland and Vietnam have improved mayonnaise consistency, reduced production stoppages, and optimised ingredient usage.
Accenture to Accelerate Industrial AI Adoption
Accenture is supporting Unilever with industrial AI capabilities that leverage advanced analytics and AI agents to predict maintenance requirements, improve equipment performance, and enable faster operational responses.
As confidence in the technology grows, some process adjustments can increasingly be automated while remaining under human oversight, creating a balance between AI-driven efficiency and workforce expertise.
Nicole van Det, CEO of Accenture Netherlands and Nordics and global account lead for Unilever, said the initiative demonstrates how advanced AI tools, smart process design, and disciplined execution can create long-term value across manufacturing operations.
Building the Factory of the Future
The latest collaboration builds on Unilever’s growing portfolio of AI initiatives, including its AI Horizon3 Lab in Toronto, which focuses on identifying and testing next-generation AI solutions.
The company’s supply-chain excellence has also been recognised by the World Economic Forum through its Global Lighthouse Network, where Unilever holds the highest number of designations in the consumer goods sector.
With the expansion of AI-powered digital twins, Unilever is positioning itself at the forefront of smart manufacturing, using industrial AI to drive operational excellence, sustainability, and future-ready growth across its global factory network.
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About the Author
Sheetal Singh
Contributing Writer