Driving Sustainable Business Transformation — It Starts with Intel

As technology continues to advance, it creates opportunities for companies, and even entire industries, to drive sustainable transformation. Intel technology is helping businesses revolutionize productivity and rewrite the definition of success, from manufacturing, to agriculture, to retail, and beyond. The following are among the growing list of real-life ways we’re helping organizations of all sizes — including our own — transform sustainably.

Capturing heat from chip manufacturing to reduce natural gas consumption

As we expand our manufacturing operations, we continue to reduce our environmental footprint. Fab 34, our newest facility in Leixlip, Ireland, features exciting advancements to conserve energy and water, which will continue to be incorporated into the rest of our manufacturing locations around the world.

Awarded LEED® Gold certification, our Leixlip manufacturing facility and its support buildings feature Intel’s innovative nanofiltration system. The system captures water that is rejected during the on-site reverse osmosis process and redirects it for use in other areas of manufacturing. When fully implemented, the project is expected to conserve up to 275 million gallons of water a year. In addition, the construction project recycled nearly 90% of construction waste.

The biggest game-changer is our heat recovery system, which allows us to cut our natural gas consumption. This technology utilizes recovery chillers to capture heat created by our manufacturing processes. That heat is then piped (in the form of heated water) for use throughout the facility. When fully operational, the buildings will use a 9:1 ratio of heat generated by heat recovery versus heat generated by traditional methods.

Intel is committed to rebalancing the supply chain, with a goal of having at least 50% of the world’s leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. and Europe by the end of the decade. With new facilities in Leixlip, Germany, and Poland, as well as new and expanding foundry sites in the U.S. from Arizona to Ohio, we’re already moving the needle. Simply put, chips are quickly becoming one of the world’s most critical resources — and it starts with Intel.

Harnessing AI to enhance global food supply

AI holds the promise of driving an agricultural revolution at a time when the world is being challenged to produce 50 percent more food by 2050. Technology is already helping farmers get more from their land while using resources more sustainably.

 Nature Fresh Farms, a data-driven company that ships non-GMO, greenhouse-grown produce to key retailers across North America, is applying predictive analytics and AI modeling to turn their crop-growing process into a tasty exercise in precision and efficiency. An hour or two of downtime could result in a lost crop or millions of dollars in damage. So, our Xeon built-in accelerators and OpenVINO software toolkit are helping Nature Fresh Farms power the AI necessary to deliver insights on each plant, limiting the potential for disease, supercharging growth, increasing yields, reducing waste, and moving from farm to store quicker.

For example, Nature Fresh Farms’ AI-optimized sorting system takes 15-30 photos every eight seconds to properly sort and distinguish the best produce for delivery to each customer up to five times faster than before, while also improving accuracy. Traditionally grown tomatoes typically take anywhere from 4-10 days to reach a retailer’s shelf. With Nature Fresh Farms’ AI-enabled sorting system, tomatoes can now hit supermarket shelves in as little as 24-48 hours after packaging.

We recently launched Organic Intelligence, a digital experience to highlight the benefits of AI-enabled farming. The platform demonstrates how Intel Xeon processors and the OpenVINO toolkit are helping Nature Fresh Farms drive efficiency in the food supply chain at a critical time.

Using edge-powered data management to streamline retail operations

Intel and Flooid have collaborated to integrate a Unified Commerce Platform and POS system across One Stop's 900 UK stores. This serves as a prime example of the opportunity for retail-based businesses, big or small, to leverage AI to streamline their operations and lift efficiency.

Edge computing, powered by a selection of Intel processors, has enabled One Stop’s network POS devices to communicate wirelessly and effortlessly. The technology puts real-time data at the fingertips of employees, automates logistics, and more. With data-driven inventory precision, One Stop is now able to match inventory with actual purchase patterns, significantly reducing overstock and food spoilage. This huge step forward allows One Stop employees to focus more time on helping customers and growing the business.

“The Intel technology really does give our business an edge,” said One Stop franchisee owner Harman Basainty. “With a network system, you don’t have to be in-store. You don’t have to be wandering up and down the aisles. It allows you to run your business from anywhere.”

These are a few of the many examples that demonstrate how Intel’s advanced technology is not just enabling change, but truly helping solve real business challenges across industries. Driving sustainable business transformation — It starts with Intel.