Industry: Pharmaceutical
Pierre Fabre, one of France’s leading pharmaceutical and dermo-cosmetic companies, faced increasing pressure to enhance the sustainability of its water management practices without compromising operational reliability. Today, managing water resources has become more complex than ever, especially under strict regulatory requirements and the need for transparent, real-time operations.
The Challenge: Balancing Sustainability and Operational Continuity
Organizations must strike a delicate balance between meeting environmental goals and maintaining efficient production. For Pierre Fabre, traditional approaches based on static planning and reactive adjustments were no longer sufficient. These methods could not handle the interplay between production demands, seasonal water availability, and regulatory constraints.
To address these challenges, the company partnered with Siemens and Institut Mines-Télécom in a research initiative centered around digital twin technology.
The Solution: A Calibrated, Strategic Digital Twin
A well-calibrated digital twin is key to transforming water management. This technology enables precise short- and long-term simulations of water usage and provides a clear understanding of how operational decisions will play out.
Additionally, scenario-based investment analysis helps prioritize the most effective and sustainable actions, ensuring alignment between environmental and business objectives.
Advanced Simulation and Forecasting
By developing a digital twin of its water management system using Siemens Plant Simulation and Optimize My Plant, Pierre Fabre created a virtual model that mirrors real-world parameters. This allowed the company to:
- Simulate multiple operational scenarios under real constraints
- Forecast daily and seasonal consumption patterns
- Identify structural improvements to significantly reduce water usage
- Make smarter, data-driven investment decisions
Early results showed strong potential: the company uncovered clear opportunities to optimize consumption and pursue investments that balance economic priorities with environmental responsibility.
Value Across the Organization
The digital twin delivers value at multiple organizational levels. First, it provides simulation capabilities to understand and resolve operational challenges. Then, by integrating real-time data, it enables both proactive and reactive supervision.
“The digital twin provides answers at all levels within organizations. The first level is simulation to understand and solve operational issues. Next, the integration of real-time data enables proactive and reactive supervision.”
— Christophe Rousse, Operations Data & Analytics Director at Pierre Fabre Group
Looking Ahead
Pierre Fabre plans to evolve its digital twin into a fully supervised system capable of dynamically adjusting water usage and strengthening its sustainability commitments. This use case demonstrates how digital twins are guiding the pharmaceutical industry toward smarter, greener production.
It also highlights the importance of Siemens’ simulation expertise and academic collaboration in solving real industrial challenges.
