Solvay is scaling up its digital industrial transformation, extending its global framework agreement with IMI to rapidly expand connected sensor deployment across its manufacturing network.
IMI is now Solvay’s preferred supplier for Industrial Internet of Things (I-IoT) technologies, with more than 5,000 sensors already installed across 25 sites in 11 countries. The system is giving the company real-time visibility into critical equipment performance, improving reliability, cutting costs, and reducing environmental impact.
The sensors continuously monitor vibration and temperature on key machinery, allowing teams to detect early warning signs of failure, prevent breakdowns, and schedule maintenance at the optimal time rather than relying on fixed service intervals.
Solvay plans to nearly double the rollout to 9,000 sensors by 2027, embedding predictive maintenance deeper into its global operations.
The initiative is a core part of Solvay’s “Essential for Generations” strategy, which emphasizes operational excellence and sustainability. It marks a clear shift from traditional time-based maintenance to data-driven decision-making powered by real-time analytics.
The company says the transition is already delivering measurable gains—reducing repair costs, limiting energy losses, and cutting waste—while strengthening operational resilience across its global footprint. Sensor deployment has surged from a few hundred units in 2023 to more than 5,000 today.
“Digitalization is reshaping the way we run our plants. Expanding the use of connected sensors helps us make quicker and better-informed decisions that improve safety, reliability and energy efficiency - while also making our operations more competitive and cost-effective.
"It’s a concrete accelerator of the operational excellence transformation we’re driving across Solvay as part of our Essential for Generations strategy,” said Lanny Duvall, Chief Operations Officer at Solvay.
