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Grupa LOTOS and Microsoft have signed an agreement paving the way for the development of joint projects and solutions based on artificial intelligence and state-of-the-art information technology. Their collaborative partnership will commence with the establishment of the Competence Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Innovation and Advanced Data Analytics. The expected synergy gains from up-to-date technology solutions are estimated to exceed EUR 10m.

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Grupa LOTOS and Microsoft have signed an agreement paving the way for the development of joint projects and solutions based on artificial intelligence and state-of-the-art information technology. Their collaborative partnership will commence with the establishment of the Competence Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Innovation and Advanced Data Analytics. The expected synergy gains from up-to-date technology solutions are estimated to exceed EUR 10m.

‘For Grupa LOTOS, Industry 4.0 is not another industrial revolution but a fuel for a well-planned digital evolution. The achievements of Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) include technologies and solutions that have been used by refiners for more than a decade,’ says Jarosław Kawula, Vice President of the Management Board of Grupa LOTOS S.A. ‘In the near future, we will be particularly interested in projects related to advanced data analytics, including big data mining based on cloud computing. We are also keeping a close eye on other areas of digitalisation related to robotisation, deeper automation and autonomation, digitalisation of manufacturing processes, integration of infrastructure and data in production management, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality,’ added Mr Kawula.

LOTOS i Microsoft

Readiness to develop and embrace innovation, including digital innovation, is one of the five pillars of Grupa LOTOS business strategy until 2022. For over a decade, Grupa LOTOS has been ranked among Europe’s most advanced and innovative refiners, which is why it attaches great importance to implementing new solutions and services that could help it consolidate its competitive position in the near future and deliver quality products and services to customers.

‘The Competence Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Innovation and Advanced Data Analytics will offer Grupa LOTOS a real opportunity to deliver significant cost savings with the human resources and tools it already has. The employees dedicated to this pilot programme will first attend a series of training courses and workshops to be able to relatively quickly and fully harness the potential of artificial intelligence to optimise production processes, particularly to further increase the profitability of crude oil refining in selected process units, improve the efficiency of the entire supply chain and advance service personalisation for customers. The identified gains from synergies offered by state-of-the-art technology solutions and expertise of Grupa LOTOS S.A. employees are expected to exceed EUR 10m and will save approximately 20,000 man-hours,’ says Marcin Hynek, Project Manager at Grupa LOTOS S.A.’s AI Competence Centre.

The overriding objective of pursuing joint initiatives and projects is to digitally transform Grupa LOTOS S.A. and to better prepare it for the fast-changing business environment. The purpose of the agreement is to develop solutions and improvements based on the recent technology advances in Industrial Internet of Things, Big Data, advanced analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) that could be used in scenarios and projects meeting the specific requirements of the downstream petroleum industry.

‘Supporting companies on their way towards digital transition in highly specialised sectors like the downstream oil industry requires more than just knowledge. The key to success are collaborative partnerships and resulting action plans,’ adds Magda Taczanowska, member of the Management Board of Microsoft Poland, responsible for the Enterprise segment. ‘With its approach to adopting the latest trends and technologies Grupa LOTOS is blazing a trail for the entire industry, not only in Poland, but also in the region. I am positive that this mindset will accelerate Grupa LOTOS’s digital transformation in the target business areas, while the implemented improvements and solutions will help the organisation to build a new digital culture,’ saidMs Taczanowska.

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LOTOS is a Polish corporation whose business is of strategic importance to the national and European energy security, as well as to Poland’s economy. It produces natural gas and crude oil in Poland, Norway and Lithuania. The Company owns a refinery in Gdańsk, one of Europe’s most advanced oil refining plants, where crude is processed mainly into high quality fuels, including the LOTOS Dynamic premium brand.

LOTOS also operates a chain of close to 500 service stations conveniently located at motorways and expressways, in all large cities and many other locations across the country. As a retailer and wholesaler of fuels, it has nearly a one-third market share at home. It is also Poland’s second largest railway carrier. LOTOS is a leading manufacturer of road bitumens, engine oils and lubricants used in road vehicles, aeroplanes, trains, ships, and even military vehicles.

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more. Microsoft provides a platform of solutions that are a foundation for growth to others – better life for people, transformation of Polish companies, schools and offices, and expansion of Polish IT companies – Microsoft Partners – who develop their own solutions based on Microsoft technology and who compete globally.

Microsoft technology is changing the way people live, work, learn, play, spend free time and communicate. As a leader in cloud computing, Microsoft continues to come up with new solutions and services. It is the only market player capable of providing a complete suite of infrastructure, programming platform and applications in the computing cloud. With its Azure, Office 365 and Dynamics 365 cloud environment, Microsoft is helping to transform business, public administration and education, contributing to the development of digital economy in Poland. This is how economic and social phenomena like Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things, machine learning and artificial intelligence are becoming a reality.

Microsoft Corporation was established in 1975 in the US, and its Polish branch – in 1992. Some 130,000 specialists in various fields are employed at Microsoft around the world, including about 350 staff in Poland.

External Communications Department, Grupa LOTOS S.A., ul. Elbląska 135, 80-718 Gdańsk, Poland, tel. (+48) 58 308 83 88, (+48) 58 308 72 29, e-mail: media@grupalotos.pl

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