The new academy opened yesterday (18 June) at the Danone Nutricia Opole site in Poland, a facility recognised by the World Economic Forum as a Global Digital Lighthouse.
The move is part of Danone’s digital manufacturing and innovation strategy, aimed at enhancing speed, productivity, sustainability, resilience and flexibility across its global network of 20,000 operations employees by 2026.
The 5.0 Academy intends to encourage the collaboration of humans and machine (the concept of industry 5.0) by building confidence and capability in using and working alongside smart technology. Training will be delivered both in-person and virtually, covering modules such as advanced automation, AI prompt engineering, and data-driven decision-making.
Danone is already embracing this transformation through several live applications, including using smart sensors for predictive maintenance; deploying AI assistants to analyse production data and deliver insights and spotlight efficiencies; encouraging the use of AI to optimise processes such as spray drying in baby formula production; as well as the use of digital twin technology to test out recipes and production scenarios.
Commenting on the opening of the facility, Vikram Agarwal, Danone’s chief operations officer said: “The global manufacturing sector faces a significant shortfall of skilled workers. It’s a commercial imperative for us to train our existing talent base and empower them to be active participants in Industry 5.0.
“Technologies like AI and robotics are already reshaping how we operate — but their true potential lies in the hands of our people. The Danone Industry 5.0 Academy is about how we bring that vision to life. It’s a key pillar of our Renew Danone strategy and will create long-term value for all our stakeholders.”
The business is also creating a new network of 10 factories to pilot models of the digital factory of the future.
“The Academy is just the beginning,” added Agarwal.
“Our ambition is to set new industry standards for human-machine collaboration, so we can better serve our customers, consumers and patients around the world.”
Danone has around 90,000 employees, with products sold in over 120 markets. It generated approximately €27.4 billion (£23.4bn) in sales in 2024 and has a portfolio of international brands including, Actimel, Activia, Alpro, Aptamil, Evian, Nutricia, and Volvic, among others.
