Schneider Electric and Roca Group strengthen global operations through unified digital transformation and sustainability strategy

Schneider Electric and Roca Group strengthen global operations through unified digital transformation and sustainability strategy

(IN BRIEF) Schneider Electric and Roca Group have partnered to advance a global digital transformation that enhances operational efficiency, energy performance, and sustainability across Roca’s industrial network. Through technologies like AVEVA MES, AVEVA System Platform, and Power Monitoring Expert, Roca’s pilot plant in Portugal achieved notable gains, including a 2.1% rise in operational efficiency and a 1.86% drop in energy use per ton produced. With the success of the pilot, the companies plan to roll out the unified digital framework to over 80 factories worldwide. This initiative complements Roca’s sustainability milestones, including its EcoVadis Platinum Medal and over 150 decarbonization projects, positioning the group as a pioneer in combining digital innovation with sustainable industrial growth.

(PRESS RELEASE) COPENHAGEN, 24-Oct-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Schneider Electric, a global leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has joined forces with Roca Group, the world-renowned provider of bathroom space solutions, to accelerate the digital transformation of Roca’s global industrial operations. This large-scale collaboration focuses on boosting operational efficiency, improving energy performance, and embedding sustainability as a cornerstone of Roca’s production strategy.

With more than 80 factories worldwide, Roca Group identified the need for a unified digital framework capable of adapting to different production environments while maintaining global coherence. Schneider Electric’s Advisory Services and Industrial Automation teams developed a customized roadmap that bridges digital strategy and real-world execution through defined phases—diagnosis, strategy creation, model design, deployment, and scaling.

At the heart of this transformation are AVEVA MES and AVEVA System Platform, which enable real-time monitoring, process control, and agile decision-making. In parallel, Power Monitoring Expert and AVEVA PI System provide granular insights into energy usage, helping Roca optimize resource consumption and comply with international standards such as ISO 50001.

The results of this partnership are already visible at Roca’s pilot facility in Cantanhede, Portugal, where automation and digital tools have delivered measurable success: operational equipment efficiency improved by 2.1%, energy consumption per ton produced dropped by 1.86%, and automated systems saved more than 4,400 working hours annually, empowering teams to focus on higher-value tasks.

According to Friedrich Richter, Senior Vice President for Services, Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric, this initiative represents “a powerful example of how digitalization and sustainability can move hand in hand to generate measurable and scalable improvements across industrial settings.”

Roca Group’s leadership echoed this sentiment. Jacques Nieuwland, Director of IT and Digital Transformation, emphasized that the program not only drives operational excellence but also reinforces Roca’s commitment to responsible, sustainable industry. Miquel Barahona, Director of Manufacturing at the Faucet Competence Center, added that the collaboration “empowers teams from the ground up, giving every employee access to agile, data-driven tools and a shared vision of performance.”

Roca’s digital evolution is firmly tied to its sustainability mission. After benchmarking digital best practices through visits to Schneider Electric’s Le Vaudreuil Lighthouse Factory and conducting maturity assessments in Portugal and Germany, the company implemented its model in two pilot sites, setting new standards for energy and operational management.

Roca’s environmental progress has earned it global recognition, including the EcoVadis Platinum Medal in 2024, placing it among the top 1% of companies worldwide in sustainability. Under Carlos Velázquez, Director of Sustainability, the company has launched over 150 decarbonization projects, including the world’s first emission-free sanitary porcelain factory in Gmunden, Austria. Since 2018, Roca has achieved a 53% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions, consumed over 21 GWh of renewable energy annually, and secured 100% renewable electricity across European sites since 2025.

Building on the successful Portuguese pilot, Schneider Electric and Roca Group are now preparing to scale the unified digital model globally, with deployments planned for factories in Portugal, Poland, Morocco, Brazil, Austria, and Switzerland. The ultimate goal is to extend this digital transformation to all 80+ Roca manufacturing sites, creating a fully connected, efficient, and resilient industrial ecosystem worldwide.

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SOURCE: Schneider Electric