Honeywell and Google Cloud Join Forces to Accelerate AI-Driven Industrial Operations
By integrating Google Cloud’s technology, Honeywell reinforces its alignment with three key market trends: automation, increased productivity, and workforce empowerment.
Honeywell and Google Cloud have announced a unique collaboration aimed at enhancing industrial operations through the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), connecting assets, people, and processes to support safer and more autonomous operations across industries.
This partnership leverages Google Cloud’s Gemini AI models on Vertex AI, known for their multimodal and natural language capabilities, alongside the vast data collected on Honeywell Forge, a leading Internet of Things (IoT) platform for industrial applications. The integration will deliver clear, actionable insights across various use cases, helping Honeywell’s customers reduce maintenance costs, improve productivity, and upskill workers. Honeywell plans to roll out the first AI-enabled solutions in 2025.
Driving Smarter and Autonomous Operations
“The journey to autonomy requires assets to perform better, people to work more intelligently, and processes to operate more efficiently,” said Vimal Kapur, Chairman and CEO of Honeywell. “By combining Google Cloud’s advanced AI technology with the industrial knowledge and data within Honeywell Forge, we can provide powerful insights that bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds—accelerating autonomous operations, a key element of Honeywell’s growth strategy.”
According to Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, the collaboration “marks a major advancement in bringing AI’s transformative potential to industrial settings. With Gemini on Vertex AI and Honeywell’s industrial expertise, we are creating new opportunities for process optimization, workforce empowerment, and improved business outcomes.”
AI-Driven Solutions for the Industrial Sector
The industrial sector is currently grappling with labor shortages and skills gaps, exacerbated by the retirement of baby boomers. While 82% of Industrial AI leaders identify their companies as early adopters of AI, only 17% have fully implemented AI strategies, according to Honeywell’s 2024 Industrial AI Insights Report. The collaboration aims to increase AI adoption by augmenting operations and workforce performance, enabling organizations to harness automation for growth without reducing jobs.
Purpose-Built AI Agents
- Honeywell and Google Cloud will develop AI agents, powered by Vertex AI Search, to support engineering tasks, automate workflows, and shorten project design cycles. This allows engineers to shift their focus towards innovation and customer satisfaction.
- Specialized AI agents will also utilize large language models (LLMs) to assist technicians with maintenance tasks by providing real-time answers to questions such as, “How did the system perform overnight?” or “How do I replace this module?” Gemini’s multimodal capabilities will enable these agents to interpret images, videos, text, and sensor data, providing deeper insights beyond simple queries.
Improving Cybersecurity and Edge Device Capabilities
The partnership will also strengthen cybersecurity by integrating Google Threat Intelligence, including insights from Mandiant, with Honeywell’s security solutions such as GARD Threat Intelligence and Secure Media Exchange (SMX). This collaboration will enhance threat detection and protection for critical infrastructure.
On-the-Edge AI Innovations
Honeywell plans to explore the use of Google’s Gemini Nano model to enhance its edge AI devices. These improvements will support multiple use cases—ranging from advanced scanning performance to voice-guided workflows, operational monitoring, and alarm handling—without needing cloud connectivity. Honeywell anticipates that these new intelligent devices will be part of future product announcements, marking a significant step toward autonomous operations.
Alignment with Key Market Trends
By integrating Google Cloud’s technology, Honeywell reinforces its alignment with three key market trends: automation, increased productivity, and workforce empowerment. The partnership emphasizes AI’s role not only in enhancing operational efficiency but also in helping companies adapt to emerging challenges and drive sustainable growth.
This collaboration lays the foundation for next-generation industrial solutions, combining AI-powered insights with Honeywell’s expertise in operational technology, positioning both companies to shape the future of autonomous and connected industries.
