AI-Based Process Control at Scale: Pringles and Siemens on Digital Transformation in CPG

In this panel discussion, leaders from Pringles and Siemens share how a strategic partnership is reshaping production in the consumer packaged goods industry through digital twins, AI-based process control, and a long-term vision for the industrial metaverse. Ronny Matthijs, Plant Director at Uma Investments Sp. z o.o., describes the core challenge facing large-scale food manufacturing: natural ingredient variability that makes consistent, predictable production difficult to achieve. Relying on operator experience alone was no longer sufficient as demand grew and efficiency fluctuated. The turning point came in 2023, when Pringles and Siemens began their collaboration with a structured factory assessment that identified 14 potential improvement areas. Three were prioritized to start: a digital twin with AI-based process control, energy management, and sensor-driven predictive maintenance. Daniel Klein, Vice President Consulting at Siemens AG, explains how the project was structured around business challenges rather than technology for its own sake. Mixed teams from both companies worked together with defined evaluation checkpoints rather than traditional milestones, allowing honest assessment of progress. The data generated by the digital twin quickly extended its value beyond the production line, enabling R&D to test recipes against real production data and giving procurement stronger insights for supplier negotiations. Plant simulation was also implemented to understand the downstream impact of increased output across multiple production lines. Jan Laenen, Global Digitalization Lead at Pringles, outlines how this approach is now being scaled. Following a successful full implementation on one production line by 2025, the solutions are being rolled out to Pringles factories in the United States and Belgium. The longer-term goal is to connect manufacturing with R&D and engineering through digital threads, creating a continuous cycle of data collection, AI-driven insight, and operational improvement across formulation, supply chain, and production. Cedrik Neike, CEO of Digital Industries at Siemens AG, frames the broader opportunity: faster product development, more resilient supply chains, and measurable sustainability gains — including a 7% reduction in energy use per unit of production. He emphasizes that the Pringles journey illustrates how the industrial metaverse is built incrementally, use case by use case, rather than through isolated pilot projects. The discussion, recorded at Hannover Messe 2026, concludes with reflections on cultural change, with Jan Laenen highlighting the importance of building an organization where data informs decisions at every level, from the shop floor to senior leadership.