Latest news with #Opole
Forbes
09-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Danone's Academy Wants To Train 20,000 AI-Ready Workers
AI upskilling Danone is turning its Opole, Poland, nutrition plant into more than a model factory. It's making it the heart of a global training push. By 2026, the dairy and beverage giant says up to 20,000 frontline workers across its global network will be trained to use AI tools, cobots, and digital twins. The initiative, known internally as the Industry 5.0 Academy, aims to build the kind of skills that are in short supply. Why Industry 5.0 Needs More Human Skills Coined by European policymakers and industry analysts, Industry 5.0 extends the Industry 4.0 playbook of sensors, data lakes and robotics by putting people at the center of advanced manufacturing. Danone argues that AI cannot deliver its full value unless factory teams are confident prompt-writers, data interpreters and cobot partners. That shift isn't theoretical. Around the world, manufacturers are looking to find workers who can interpret data, write prompts, or collaborate with AI systems. The problem isn't just hiring, it's retraining the workforce already in place. 'The global manufacturing sector faces a significant shortfall of skilled workers,' says Vikram Agarwal, Danone's chief operating officer. '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.' Speeding Delivery of AI Training Danone's Academy program splits the learning into manageable pieces. Workers get micro-lessons on writing better prompts, analyzing sensor data, and using digital assistants. In-person and virtual workshops at Opole are blended with VR simulations and five-minute videos pushed to 130 sites around the world. The content is grounded in real work. Maintenance teams learn how to describe a machine issue to an AI co-pilot. Line leaders practice using sensor data to tweak production and cut waste. And digital assistants walk through standard procedures, flagging issues before they become expensive problems. Opole already has a track record with advanced tech. In 2022 the World Economic Forum named the plant a Global Lighthouse after it reduced change-over times by one-third and cut water use 22 percent through use of AI for process controls. Danone is now using the same crew, technicians, line leaders, even hourly workers, as peer trainers for colleagues in Brazil, Indonesia and beyond. Skill Shift: Why AI Training Is No Longer Optional The pace of AI development isn't slowing. That's why companies like Danone are treating training as an urgent priority. Every time AI capabilities improve, the skills needed to use it shift too. Workers in roles that once looked stable, such as customer service, planning, even packaging, are finding their daily tasks automated or redefined. The numbers back that up. The World Economic Forum says nearly 60% of workers will need new skills by 2027. About 44% of today's core competencies will become obsolete in the same time frame. And one in four jobs is likely to change or disappear altogether. At the same time, the upside is significant. McKinsey estimates that generative AI could unlock $2.6 trillion to $4.4 trillion in value each year. But only if the people running the systems know how to harness them. How Rivals Are Skilling Up Danone isn't alone in linking AI to frontline capability. Nestlé has rolled out its own internal large language model called NesGPT, designed to speed up product development and troubleshoot production issues. Thousands of staff, from engineers to packaging specialists earn 'prompt certificates' after a short internal course. Unilever, meanwhile, is pushing its AI-enhanced Manufacturing System to more than 120 plants worldwide. The company says early pilots delivered double-digit improvements in equipment efficiency. Procter & Gamble recently worked with academic researchers to quantify AI's impact internally. The end result showed that AI provided a significant boost to innovation and employee productivity. Taking the Necessary Next Steps Upskilling employees isn't just an HR line item, it's an insurance policy. Teams fluent in AI and automation can adapt faster during supply-chain shocks, plug cyber holes before they widen, and feel less tempted to jump ship for 'cooler' tech gigs. For Danone, bringing those skills into Opole now means every future plant upgrade, whether it's a cobot, a digital twin or the next-gen data stack, can be brought to the factory floor already primed to work on the very first shift. 'The Academy is just the beginning,' Agarwal claims. 'We are also creating a new network of 10 pioneering factories to pilot disruptive models of the Digital Factory of the future. 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' AI can cut costs, boost speed, and enable new products. But the biggest gains may come from something more basic: giving people the skills to make the tools worth using. As companies race to invest in digital capabilities, the winners won't be the ones with the flashiest algorithms, but the ones whose workers know how to put them to work on day one.
Gizmodo
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘Witcher' Author Understands Why George R.R. Martin Is Taking So Long on ‘Winds of Winter'
It's been over a decade since the last Witcher book was released—2013's Season of Storms, which got an English translation in 2018—but there's a new title coming very soon from Andrzej Sapkowski: September's Crossroads of Ravens. In between books, Netflix launched its hit Witcher series, which still has a fourth and fifth season yet to share. That puts Sapkowski on a different sort of timeline from another author whose fans have been waiting awhile for a new book to arrive in his adapted-for-TV series—you know him, you love him, it's George R.R. Martin—and it's something he's taken into consideration. At the recent Opole Book Festival in Sapkowski's native Poland, the author—who's known to be humorously outspoken in interviews—was asked about Martin (Polygon via Redanian Intelligence; if you understand Polish, there's also a video of the discussion), specifically the idea that Game of Thrones' disappointing final seasons, which went beyond the narrative of Martin's books, are to blame for the long wait for Winds of Winter. 'I totally understand him,' the Witcher author said. 'Because if someone had pulled a stunt like that on me, filming a series based on my books, and then getting ahead of what I intended to write, I'd also be wondering whether there's any point in writing anymore. If it's already been done, right? Makes no sense. It's nice when they adapt your work, that's the author's bloody right, but to adapt what doesn't exist yet, to extrapolate like that? That's just indecent.' He suggested that perhaps Martin 'got offended that they filmed the continuation [of Game of Thrones],' though Martin himself has never spoken out about that specifically. (He is, however, getting extremely tired of people asking him about Winds of Winter.) Sapkowski applied some of his trademark wit when saying there's one big difference between him and Martin: 'I will write something else. Relax. No need to fear. And unlike George R.R. Martin—whom, by the way, I know personally—when I say I'll write something, I will.' Crossroads of Ravens was released in Poland last year, but the English-language version arrives on shelves this September 30. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
BreakingNews.ie
26-05-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Decision blocking Irish investors from pursuing developer of Polish shopping centre overturned
The Supreme Court has overturned a decision that an Irish developer of a shopping centre in Poland could not be pursued here for a €6.3 million judgment obtained against him in Poland on behalf of 57 Irish investors. Last year, Michael Scully won an appeal over the enforcement of the Polish judgment here in the Court of Appeal (CoA). Advertisement But a company, Coucal Ltd, to which the investors had assigned their rights, then appealed that decision to the Supreme Court. On Monday, a five-judge Supreme Court overturned the CoA decision and said Mr Scully could be pursued for enforcement of the judgment here. Mr Scully, a Clonalkilty farmer who also co-owned Castle Carbery Properties Ltd which built the shopping centre in Opole, Poland in 2009, had appealed a decision of the High Court that a Polish judgment over the investment scheme against him could be enforced here. Some €48m was borrowed for the purpose of funding the shopping centre. The CoA allowed Mr Scully's appeal after finding that the use of Coucal, a Polish special purpose vehicle (SPV) company set up by the investors, which brought the case against him in Poland, represented "the commodification of litigation" which was clearly prohibited by Irish public policy. Advertisement The 57 investors alleged they were defrauded by Mr. Scully when he induced them to divest themselves of their investments in the shopping centre, on terms which were very unfavourable to them and very favourable to Mr. Scully. Those claims were denied. While proceedings against Mr Scully in Poland were initially unsuccessful, by 2021 the Warsaw Court of Appeal found that Mr. Scully had wrongfully and without authority purported to enter into agreements on behalf of Coucal's shareholders. It awarded judgment against him for some €6.3million. The Warsaw appeal court also permitted Coucal to bring proceedings in Ireland to enforce the judgment against assets he owns here, including a farm in Co Cork. Mr Scully then brought proceedings here against Coucal Ltd seeking refusal of recognition and enforcement of the Polish judgment. The application was brought under an EU regulation, called Brussels I Recast, relating to enforcement of civil and commercial judgments across the EU. Advertisement In the meantime, Mr Scully had appealed the judgment to the Polish Supreme Court which decided to make a reference to the Court of Justice of the EU relating to issues concerning judicial independence and impartiality and in particular the claimed lack of independence of one of the Polish Court of Appeal judges. Mr Scully's case here was rejected by the High Court in November 2022 and he appealed, winning the appeal in the CoA just over a year ago. Coucal then sought and was granted an appeal to the Supreme Court. In two separate concurring judgments on behalf of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Donal O'Donnell and Mr Justice Gerard Hogan allowed the appeal. Advertisement The Chief Justice said it was clear that enforcement of the judgment in this case did not approach the required standard for being an exceptional case in which recognition of a foreign judgment should be refused on grounds of public policy. Ireland Jury in Richard Satchwell trial told they can cons... Read More If someone enters a contract in another state, they would not normally be entitled to complain of the application of the laws of that state to either their conduct or their transactions, he said. The Brussels Recast Regulation normally requires enforcement of the judgments obtained in other member states without engagement with the underlying merits of the claim or the applicable law, he said. This is consistent with a high hurdle being required to be satisfied before enforcement of any judgment can be refused, he said. Mr Justice Hogan said in the circumstances of this case one cannot say that the recognition of the Polish judgment should be refused on the ground that to do so would be 'manifestly contrary to public policy' in this State within the meaning of the Brussels Recast Regulation. Advertisement He said his judgment was subject to the caveat that, while the CoA declined to adjudicate on this issue of Polish judicial independence, which had been argued by Mr Scully in the case, he now invited the parties to make further submissions on this issue.
Irish Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Decision blocking Irish investors from pursuing developer of Polish shopping centre overturned
The Supreme Court has overturned a decision that an Irish developer of a shopping centre in Poland could not be pursued here for a €6.3 million judgment obtained against him in Poland on behalf of 57 Irish investors. Last year, Michael Scully won an appeal over the enforcement of the Polish judgment here in the Court of Appeal (CoA). But a company, Coucal Ltd, to which the investors had assigned their rights, then appealed that decision to the Supreme Court. On Monday, a five-judge Supreme Court overturned the CoA decision and said Mr Scully could be pursued for enforcement of the judgment here. READ MORE Mr Scully, a Clonakilty farmer who also co-owned Castle Carbery Properties Ltd which built the shopping centre in Opole, Poland in 2009, had appealed a decision of the High Court that a Polish judgment over the investment scheme against him could be enforced here. Some €48 million was borrowed for the purpose of funding the shopping centre. The CoA allowed Mr Scully's appeal after finding that the use of Coucal, a Polish special purpose vehicle (SPV) company set up by the investors, which brought the case against him in Poland, represented 'the commodification of litigation' which was clearly prohibited by Irish public policy. The 57 investors alleged they were defrauded by Mr Scully when he induced them to divest themselves of their investments in the shopping centre, on terms which were very unfavourable to them and very favourable to Mr Scully. Those claims were denied. While proceedings against Mr Scully in Poland were initially unsuccessful, by 2021 the Warsaw Court of Appeal found that Mr. Scully had wrongfully and without authority purported to enter into agreements on behalf of Coucal's shareholders. It awarded judgment against him for some €6.3 million. The Warsaw appeal court also permitted Coucal to bring proceedings in Ireland to enforce the judgment against assets he owns here, including a farm in Co Cork. Mr Scully then brought proceedings here against Coucal Ltd seeking refusal of recognition and enforcement of the Polish judgment. The application was brought under an EU regulation, called Brussels I Recast, relating to enforcement of civil and commercial judgments across the EU. In the meantime, Mr Scully had appealed the judgment to the Polish Supreme Court which decided to make a reference to the Court of Justice of the EU relating to issues concerning judicial independence and impartiality and in particular the claimed lack of independence of one of the Polish Court of Appeal judges. Mr Scully's case here was rejected by the High Court in November 2022 and he appealed, winning the appeal in the CoA just over a year ago. Coucal then sought and was granted an appeal to the Supreme Court. In two separate concurring judgments on behalf of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Donal O'Donnell and Mr Justice Gerard Hogan allowed the appeal. The Chief Justice said it was clear that enforcement of the judgment in this case did not approach the required standard for being an exceptional case in which recognition of a foreign judgment should be refused on grounds of public policy. If someone enters a contract in another state, they would not normally be entitled to complain of the application of the laws of that state to either their conduct or their transactions, he said. The Brussels Recast Regulation normally requires enforcement of the judgments obtained in other member states without engagement with the underlying merits of the claim or the applicable law, he said. This is consistent with a high hurdle being required to be satisfied before enforcement of any judgment can be refused, he said. Mr Justice Hogan said in the circumstances of this case one cannot say that the recognition of the Polish judgment should be refused on the ground that to do so would be 'manifestly contrary to public policy' in this State within the meaning of the Brussels Recast Regulation. He said his judgment was subject to the caveat that, while the CoA declined to adjudicate on this issue of Polish judicial independence, which had been argued by Mr Scully in the case, he now invited the parties to make further submissions on this issue.
