Honeywell Outlines Its AI-Driven Path to Autonomous Operations at the 2026 HUG Conference

KEYWORDS: Industrial AI, Autonomous Operations, Experion Cognition, Honeywell, Borouge, Process Automation, Control Room Operations

Overview

At the recent Honeywell User Group Meeting in Phoenix, we witnessed many new product announcements that all incorporate industrial AI. Honeywell has clearly made a lot of progress in developing industrial AI-based solutions for the world of automation, but one of the real standouts was the talk of a project that Honeywell did with Borouge in the UAE that was announced in this press release back in January. To my knowledge, this is the first project that successfully proved that a process plant can be controlled autonomously with an AI-powered solution. We’ve seen other projects where AI makes decisions, but not to the level where this was done in a truly autonomous way. At the center of it all is the Honeywell Experion Cognition, an AI-powered automation platform that had its official debut at the event.

Honeywell’s work with Borouge shows that AI-enabled autonomous operations are moving from aspiration to live industrial deployment, creating a practical path to safer, more efficient, and more resilient process operations.
 

Who Is Borouge?

Based in Abu Dhabi, Borouge is a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Borealis of Austria. The company was founded in 1998. Borouge supplies polyolefin plastics, including polyethylene and polypropylene. In March 2025, ADNOC and OMV announced the merger of Borouge with Borealis and the acquisition of Nova Chemicals for $9.7 billion, creating a $60 billion global polyolefins producer that is the fourth largest in the world by production capacity.

About the Project

In 2025, Borouge started initial trials to develop the industry’s first AI-driven control room for full-scale, real-time operations in collaboration with Honeywell. The initiative is a core component of Borouge's AI, Digitalization & Technology (AI&DT) program, which targeted $575 million in value generation in 2025 through a portfolio of AI- and digital-led initiatives.

The proof-of-concept project was officially announced in January of 2026. The project focused on AI-powered autonomous operations at its Ruwais facility. This milestone supports Borouge’s strategy to “enhance operational performance, strengthen long-term competitiveness, and contribute to ADNOC’s ambition to become the world’s most AI-enabled energy company.”

A First Step Toward Full-Scale Real-Time Operations

The POC marks tangible progress toward developing the petrochemical industry’s first AI-driven control room for full-scale, real-time operations. Conducted in a live production environment, the results indicate the potential to increase efficiency by up to 20 percent, enhance reliability by reducing downtime by 20 percent, and improve production performance while lowering operating costs by up to 15 percent. Borouge reports that the technology also enhances process safety and supports more sustainable operations by significantly reducing energy consumption and emissions.

According to Hazeem Sultan Al Suwaidi, Chief Executive Officer of Borouge, “This milestone reinforces Borouge’s commitment to accelerating growth, enhancing shareholder value, and driving efficiency. By advancing autonomous operations in partnership with Honeywell, we are strengthening our competitive position.”

According to Jim Masso, President and CEO of Honeywell Process Automation, “Our collaboration with Borouge demonstrates how AI-enabled autonomous operations can be deployed safely and effectively in a live production environment. This milestone highlights the potential of advanced connected solutions to deliver meaningful improvements in efficiency, reliability and operational performance at scale.”
Following the successful proof-of-concept with Honeywell, Borouge will advance work to further demonstrate the potential of autonomous operations and assess opportunities to scale the technology across its Ruwais facilities.

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