Atlantis Engineering, as part of its long-standing partnership with Philips, organised a strategic industrial mission to the Philips facilities in Drachten, the Netherlands, from 17 to 19 March 2026.
A group of senior executives from leading industries across Greece and Europe joined the mission. The objective was to gain first-hand knowledge and experience from the organisational methods and technology solutions that Philips applies.
What We Learned from the Philips Facilities
Beyond the inspiration from a technology driven facility, the visit led to clear and practical conclusions.
1. Every factory generates a large amount of useful data
In many cases, this data is ignored or lost because it is seen as low value. At Philips Drachten, the team made an early decision to store large volumes of production data, even without a clear use case at the time. Today, this allows them to train machine learning models faster and reach results sooner.
2. Industrial Intelligence is not implemented all at once
It requires a step-by-step approach, starting with a pilot phase. Philips followed this path over time and stayed committed, even when results were not immediate. A gradual rollout helps avoid wasted resources, while continuous progress ensures that earlier efforts are not lost.
3. Even in an environment that supports innovation, adopting new technology takes time
During the Sibyl implementation, strong focus was placed on involving people at every level, including production operators. Each user receives information that is relevant, clear, and easy to use in daily work.
4. Another key factor is data standardisation
The Philips IT team developed flexible mechanisms that convert data from different machines into a common format. This allows all systems to work together, regardless of the age or type of equipment. As a result, data can flow across the factory with minimal effort. Approaches such as Unified Namespace help create a single communication layer across all systems.
Industry Leaders Who Joined the Mission
The mission brought together senior executives from a wide range of industrial sectors.
- From building materials:
Kostas Anastasiadis (Q, R&D Director, Fibran), Giannis Tsoulfaidis (Corporate Production Director, Alumil), and Themis Pateras (Senior Executive, Hellenic Steel Industry).
- From food manufacturing and hospitality:
Panagiotis Fronimos (General Manager, ELBAK S.A), Efthymios Progiopoulos (Senior Director FM Operations) and Thanasis Mylonas (Director FM Operations) from the SANI-IKOS Group.
- From Italy and the technology sector:
Jacopo Cassina (CEO, Holonix).
- From Atlantis Engineering:
Cosmas Vamvalis (CEO), George Efraimidis (CCO), Thanasis Naskos (CINO), and Bas Snijders (Director of the company’s office in the Netherlands).
The mix of industries led to rich discussions and different perspectives on the use of data platforms.
By the end of the visit, one point was clear.
While each sector collects different data and asks different questions, the methods and tools used to turn data into value are largely the same.
What Participants Said
“As a large company in the aluminium extrusion sector with many different processes and production lines, we are constantly looking for the point where efficiency meets quality. The visit to Philips confirmed that the transition to a highly automated, data-driven facility is no longer a luxury. It is a necessity for competitive advantage. We thank Atlantis Engineering for the organisation and the opportunity to visit Philips’ state-of-the-art production facility in the Netherlands.”
Giannis Tsoulfaidis, Corporate Production Director, Alumil
“Congratulations to Atlantis for organising such an unexpectedly educational, inspiring and enjoyable visit. It is always interesting to watch leaders in their field. Philips showed us how you can put Greek technology to work.”
Konstantinos Anastasiadis, Q,R&D Director, Fibran
“This was probably one of the best company visits I have ever attended. The hospitality of Philips, the enthusiasm of the staff, the high professionalism, and the precision of Sibyl’s data analytics proved that the next level is already here.”
Panagiotis Fronimos, General Manager, ELBAK S.A
“The opportunities that new technology offers are significant. Companies that adopt them early and effectively will gain a real competitive edge. In a fast-changing market, success comes down to how quickly you can recognise and act on these changes.”
George Efraimidis, CCO, Atlantis Engineering
Planning the Next Step in Industrial Evolution
The visit to the Netherlands highlighted the role of Atlantis Engineering as a practical partner for modern industry. Through initiatives like this, the company connects its partners with leading international practices and real-world applications.
This mission is only the beginning. It marks the first step in a series of international collaborations, with a clear goal: to expand the use of Industrial Intelligence in manufacturing.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. What is the Sibyl platform by Atlantis Engineering?
Sibyl is an advanced Industrial Intelligence platform. It solves critical challenges in production and maintenance. It collects and analyses equipment data and predicts faults and quality issues before they affect operations. Through dashboards, it gives management the knowledge to make decisions based on real data.
2. Why were the Philips facilities chosen?
Philips is a global benchmark in industrial operations and a key client of Atlantis Engineering. Its facilities are known for high equipment availability and reduced energy use, supported by advanced systems.
This site was selected because it hosts one of the group’s largest R&D centers and produces high value, technologically advanced products. At the same time, it fully applies the Industrial Intelligence model, turning data into practical insights for production.
3. What does Philips achieve by implementing Industrial Intelligence?
By implementing the Sibyl Industrial Intelligence platform, Philips Drachten transforms massive data volumes into strategic insights. Real-time fault prediction ensures high equipment availability and a significant reduction in its energy footprint. With Sibyl, management shifts from reactive troubleshooting to proactive strategic planning. This ensures the uninterrupted operation of its fully automated production lines, which include 500 robotic arms.
4. What does a company gain from joining such a visit?
Direct exposure to leading industrial practices at a global level. This helps companies adopt new technologies faster and with less risk.
At the same time, they gain a clearer view of the challenges ahead and can prepare more effectively.
In practice, they can benchmark their own production processes, identify potential mistakes, and confirm the decisions they are already making.
5. How can I take part?
These visits are open to active partners of Atlantis Engineering. To learn more about the company’s solutions or explore a partnership, you can contant the Atlantis team for a personalised briefing.
