Integrating data across lines, halls, and even the roof

At Whirlpool Poprad, you just click on a production line and see its performance, plan, operator qualifications, and sudden drops, for example in the paint shop. Data flow from multiple systems into a single spatial dataset, so the cause of a problem is found faster. In a car plant you can switch between floors on the model, “look” underground or at the roof, and monitor zones where machines or forklifts spend too much time. A thermal drone scan also reveals heat losses or leakage risks, linking production with facility management.

When you want to have everything under one roof today, you often end up with Excel or shared spreadsheets, which hinders integration. The digital twin also leverages available scanning—from LiDAR in modern phones to detailed mapping of sites—and on top of that connects data from MES as well as from “paper” processes. The same principle works outside factories: in ports you can see the condition of locks, bridges, or whether a vessel is within the designated area, all in one 3D context. The result is a shared language for engineering, operations, and management.

Investment and the innovation environment: what hinders and what helps

The founders describe that after years of seeking capital, they closed an investment of 2.3 million euros—paradoxically from a Portuguese investor. That is why they are calling for support that will accelerate the rollout of such solutions at home and move local industry up a level. Collaboration with the top league, for example with ASML, is also significant, confirming the technological maturity of the solution. Innovation vouchers should not bypass large enterprises, where million-euro pilots run into lengthy approvals and there is no room for rapid trials.