TLDR: ABB’s Corporate Research Centers in Germany and Sweden have received the ITEA Award of Excellence 2025 for their EXPLAIN project. This EU-funded initiative focused on making Artificial Intelligence (AI) transparent, reliable, and understandable for end-users in process industries, demonstrating human-centered explainable AI (XAI) through successful industrial applications in mining and pulp & paper sectors.
ZURICH, Switzerland – September 17, 2025 – ABB’s Corporate Research Centers, located in Germany and Sweden, have been bestowed with the esteemed ITEA Award of Excellence 2025 in the Innovation category. The accolade was presented at a ceremony held in Portugal on September 16, 2025, recognizing the groundbreaking achievements of the international EU-funded research project, EXPLAIN.
The EXPLAIN project, an acronym for ‘EXPLanatory interactive Artificial intelligence for INdustry,’ was a collaborative effort involving ABB and partners from three countries. Its primary objective was to pioneer methods that enhance the transparency, reliability, and comprehensibility of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for end-users within process industries. ABB’s Corporate Research Centers showcased their proficiency in managing intricate AI technologies, underscoring their capacity to transform advanced research into impactful solutions for future industrial partners.
A core tenet of the project was the development of human-centered explainable AI (XAI). This approach empowers operators and experts to build trust in, interact with, and even provide feedback to AI systems. By integrating cutting-edge AI research with robust industrial collaboration, EXPLAIN has ensured that AI evolves into a dependable and intuitive component of daily operations, serving as a practical tool for real-world decision-making across various industries.
Key industrial applications, developed within the EXPLAIN consortium and validated with industrial partners, successfully integrated explainable AI into real-world operations:
In the mining sector, ABB partnered closely with Boliden to devise and pilot AI solutions specifically for flotation processes. The goal was to achieve higher harmonization and efficiency in these operations. Rasmus Tammia, Program Manager – Artificial Intelligence in Mining at Boliden, commented on the project’s success, stating, “By involving industry experts throughout the development process, EXPLAIN has delivered concrete results. The project has demonstrated in a new way how AI can be applied in industry – and we look forward to taking the insights further.”
Similarly, in the pulp and paper industry, ABB and academic collaborators worked with Södra to enhance pulp quality stability in the digester process. This initiative placed a strong emphasis on explainability and user-centered design. Andreas Darnell, Senior Development Engineer OT – Södra Cell Technology Development at Södra, highlighted the benefits: “Through EXPLAIN, Södra has gained additional opportunities to apply industrial AI. The project has highlighted the need to put people at the center to create the best conditions for trust and robustness.”
The EXPLAIN project ran from 2022 to 2025 and involved 15 partner organizations spanning Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands. These partners included ABB Corporate Research, Eraneos, LEAG, the University of Hildesheim, and the Technical University of Darmstadt from Germany; ABB Corporate Research, RISE, Umeå University, and Södra from Sweden; and the University of Twente, Eraneos, TNO, Brightsite, Sitech, and Universiteit Maastricht from the Netherlands.
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Georgios Demetriades, Head of ABB Corporate Research in Sweden, emphasized the significance of the award, stating, “The award clearly shows the difference we can achieve by combining leading technology and research in close collaboration with industry.” This recognition underscores ABB’s commitment to advancing AI solutions that are not only technologically sophisticated but also practical and trustworthy for industrial applications.
