Accelerator drives innovation with AI

In an era in which speed and innovation define market leadership, ABB is accelerating its transformation through the ABB Accelerator program – a global platform that is on track this year to engage more than 2,000 participants across 50+ countries, delivering 600 use cases that enhance efficiency, improve customer experience, and drive sustainable growth. By enabling teams to rapidly experiment with artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies, the Accelerator is not only reshaping ABB’s operations but also reinforcing its position as a leader in industrial innovation.

The ABB Accelerator program is designed to fast-track the development and implementation of cutting-edge technologies across the organization. By creating a global collaborative environment where ideas can flourish, the Accelerator has enabled nearly 500 teams to experiment with AI and 10 other emerging technology areas, transforming theoretical concepts into practical solutions. As this trend has matured, the Accelerator model has become a critical part of ABB’s strategy to modernize and innovate in AI.

Over the past 18 months, ABB has hosted five Accelerator events across key hubs in Poland, Switzerland, India, Mexico, and China. Notably, Bangalore and Shanghai have hosted flagship events showcasing the program’s growing global reach.  In these events, a combined total of 1,650 participants developed value-generating use cases for ABB and its customers. To date, the program has seen 800 idea submissions, resulting in the delivery of 459 use cases where over half of the teams consistently focused on data and AI solutions. This sustained momentum is driving both internal transformation and growing external visibility, with over 60 partners supporting and an active social media presence achieving 100,000+ impressions through the #abbaccelerator tag on LinkedIn.

ABB Accelerator events reinforce the agile cadence of innovation in the ABB Core organization and align with the company’s strategic priorities, thus emphasizing its commitment to “Engineering to Outrun.” Activities are separated into three areas: learning, collaboration and a hackathon, which focuses on delivering value-generating use cases.

AI initiatives and use cases

ABB has a robust framework for AI initiatives, with a comprehensive AI repository that lists groundbreaking projects and fosters collaboration across teams. Many teams use ABB Accelerators to speed up their product delivery and generate support and visibility. Some notable AI-centric use cases include:

• Management Reporting: Leveraging AI to gain deeper insights into financial data.
• StaySmart: Utilizing AI-powered insights to enhance employee retention.
• TenderEase: Simplifying the tender and RFQ process with AI.
• Optimizing Ticket Operations: Implementing AI across SAP solution management.
• AI-Based Quality Inspection: Enhancing the inspection process for ABB products using AI.
• AI Bias-Free: Ensuring unbiased AI applications within ABB.
• GenAI for Code Review: Accelerating software development with AI-driven code reviews.

Use Cases are tested against ABB’s Accelerator Business Value Framework, where teams are coached to articulate their expected financial and strategic benefits, providing them with the tools to act as internal entrepreneurs and bring their use cases to reality.

Accelerator Mexico 2025

At a recent Accelerator event at ABB’s San Luis Potosí manufacturing hub in Mexico, 218 proposals were submitted and carefully downselected for their potential impact. During the week, 480 participants collaborated on 171 use cases – from fresh concepts to proven ready-to-scale initiatives – in the end delivering 123 new tools, products, process improvements, and innovative technologies to support customers and teams.

AI Boost!

One of the highpoints of Accelerator events is the AI Boost webcast series. This flagship initiative serves a foundational role in preparing ABB employees to adapt and thrive in the AI era. Regularly attended by hundreds of ABB employees, the webcasts showcase how AI is applied in various domains such as engineering, sales, manufacturing, operations, and customer service. Sessions dedicated to ABB-relevant topics feature keynote presentations from experts and technology partners, followed by Q&A sessions. To date, the AI Boost series has generated some 15,000 hours of employee learning with a focus on accelerated use of AI across ABB.

All in all, ABB's Accelerator program is a powerful catalyst for innovation, driving the adoption of AI and other emerging technologies across the organization. By fostering a collaborative environment and providing a platform for experimentation, the Accelerator enables ABB to stay at the forefront of technological advancements, while delivering value to customers and setting new standards in industry.

Explore ABB Review