{"id":12294,"date":"2025-07-24T13:00:27","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T17:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/thought-leadership\/?p=12294"},"modified":"2026-03-26T12:33:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T16:33:23","slug":"digitalization-finds-the-balance-between-nature-and-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sw.siemens.com\/thought-leadership\/digitalization-finds-the-balance-between-nature-and-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Digitalization finds the balance between nature and industry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Today is Earth Overshoot Day. It\u2019s the date when our collective demand for resources surpasses what the planet can regenerate in a year. Every year, that date creeps earlier on the calendar. We can\u2019t rewind the clock on the damage already done but we can<\/em> slow our overconsumption. Technology, when used intentionally, can help keep materials in circulation longer and make it easier to design with circularity in mind from the very beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nature, after all, is the original systems engineer. So why not try and replicate the sustainable practices of the natural world? We can with digitalization. By combining the real and virtual worlds, companies can build products and factories that are innovative, efficient and truly sustainable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a recent podcast, <\/a>Eryn Devola, Head of Sustainability at Siemens, Ines Sagrario, CEO of Ekonoke and Juha Salmela, CTO of Spinnova discussed how their companies are using digital tools to achieve circular products and processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why digitalization is key<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Curbing overconsumption starts by anticipating long-term impact. Since 80% of a product\u2019s environmental footprint is determined during the design phase, sustainability must be embedded from the beginning, not added as an afterthought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why digitalization matters. Combining the real and digital worlds enables organizations to collect and analyze data that helps them make smarter decisions around a product or factory\u2019s energy and water usage, carbon footprint and overall impact. Additionally, with tools like the digital twin, engineers can model, test and optimize in a virtual environment before anything is physically built. That means fewer errors, less waste and faster iteration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike nature, industry doesn\u2019t have billions of years to get this right. But with digital tools, we can move quickly and thoughtfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ekonoke: growing hops indoors \u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Spanish company Ekonoke is revolutionizing the production of one of beer\u2019s most climate-sensitive ingredients: hops. Traditionally, hops are grown outdoors in just a few regions, making them vulnerable to rising temperatures, drought and weather changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ekonoke has found a way to move hop cultivation in controlled indoor environment, where they can manage every parameter from light and humidity to nutrient cycles with 100% confidence. This enables a steady, resilient supply of hops for breweries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To scale from lab trials to commercial production, Ekonoke used automation and digitalization technologies from the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio. This enabled them to monitor and fine-tune the process from the very start\u2014achieving a first-time-right outcome without costly trial and error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the results:<\/p>\n\n\n\n