Top 10 European Digital Transformation Success Stories

ING Bank embarked on a radical agile transformation in 2015, reorganising 50,000 employees across the Netherlands into autonomous squads and tribes inspired by the Spotify model. By 2020, ING had reduced IT delivery cycle times by 60%, launched digital-only banking in 13 markets, and saved €900 million annually through process automation, becoming a global benchmark for bank-wide agile transformation.

Following the NotPetya disaster, Maersk rebuilt its entire IT estate and launched TradeLens with IBM, a blockchain-based shipping platform tracking 800 million events daily across 150 million containers. Though TradeLens was later discontinued, the initiative fundamentally accelerated industry-wide digitisation of shipping documentation, cutting bill of lading processing from 10 days to under 24 hours.

Volkswagen established CARIAD in 2020 as a dedicated automotive software company to build a unified software stack across all VW Group brands. Despite well-publicised early delays, CARIAD reached a landmark partnership with Rivian in 2024 valued at up to $5.8 billion, with the joint venture accelerating software-defined vehicle capabilities across Audi, Porsche, and Volkswagen platforms.

Philips transformed from a diversified electronics conglomerate into a focused health technology company built around its HealthSuite cloud platform, connecting imaging, monitoring, and patient data across 190 countries. The platform processes data from 500 million patient records, enabling AI-assisted diagnostics and predictive care pathways used by 5,000 hospitals worldwide.

Airbus launched Skywise in 2017 as an open aviation data platform built on Palantir, aggregating flight, maintenance, and operational data from over 15,000 connected aircraft. By 2025, Skywise had helped airlines reduce aircraft on-ground events by 20% through predictive maintenance, saving the industry billions in unplanned downtime and transforming Airbus into a data-services provider.

Renault's 2021-2026 Renaulution strategy centred on digitising its manufacturing network with AI-powered quality inspection, digital twins for each factory, and a connected supply chain platform. The programme reduced production costs by €2 billion, cut vehicle defects at launch by 50%, and enabled mass customisation of electric vehicles across European assembly lines.

The NHS Long Term Plan committed £8 billion to digital transformation through 2024, achieving 90% of GP appointments available online, digital prescriptions at 98% of pharmacies, and a patient-facing NHS App with 34 million registered users. The COVID-19 vaccine booking infrastructure delivered 150 million doses using the same digital foundations built during the transformation.

Michelin pivoted from selling tyres to selling mobility solutions through its Effifuel, Effitires, and MICHELIN Track Connect platforms, offering tyre performance monitoring, road mapping (ViaMichelin), and fleet management SaaS. By 2025, digital and services revenue represented 20% of group turnover, demonstrating how a 130-year-old industrial brand can reinvent its value proposition through data.

Bosch's decade-long digital transformation invested €5 billion in IoT and AI capabilities, resulting in its Bosch IoT Suite platform connecting over 1 billion devices across manufacturing, mobility, and smart home sectors. The Bosch Manufacturing Solutions division uses AI-based visual inspection on 100 production lines, reducing defect rates by up to 30% across its global factory network.

ING Bank embarked on a radical agile transformation in 2015, reorganising 50,000 employees across the Netherlands into autonomous squads and tribes inspired by the Spotify model. By 2020, ING had reduced IT delivery cycle times by 60%, launched digital-only banking in 13 markets, and saved €900 million annually through process automation, becoming a global benchmark for bank-wide agile transformation.

Following the NotPetya disaster, Maersk rebuilt its entire IT estate and launched TradeLens with IBM, a blockchain-based shipping platform tracking 800 million events daily across 150 million containers. Though TradeLens was later discontinued, the initiative fundamentally accelerated industry-wide digitisation of shipping documentation, cutting bill of lading processing from 10 days to under 24 hours.

Volkswagen established CARIAD in 2020 as a dedicated automotive software company to build a unified software stack across all VW Group brands. Despite well-publicised early delays, CARIAD reached a landmark partnership with Rivian in 2024 valued at up to $5.8 billion, with the joint venture accelerating software-defined vehicle capabilities across Audi, Porsche, and Volkswagen platforms.

Philips transformed from a diversified electronics conglomerate into a focused health technology company built around its HealthSuite cloud platform, connecting imaging, monitoring, and patient data across 190 countries. The platform processes data from 500 million patient records, enabling AI-assisted diagnostics and predictive care pathways used by 5,000 hospitals worldwide.

Airbus launched Skywise in 2017 as an open aviation data platform built on Palantir, aggregating flight, maintenance, and operational data from over 15,000 connected aircraft. By 2025, Skywise had helped airlines reduce aircraft on-ground events by 20% through predictive maintenance, saving the industry billions in unplanned downtime and transforming Airbus into a data-services provider.

Renault's 2021-2026 Renaulution strategy centred on digitising its manufacturing network with AI-powered quality inspection, digital twins for each factory, and a connected supply chain platform. The programme reduced production costs by €2 billion, cut vehicle defects at launch by 50%, and enabled mass customisation of electric vehicles across European assembly lines.

The NHS Long Term Plan committed £8 billion to digital transformation through 2024, achieving 90% of GP appointments available online, digital prescriptions at 98% of pharmacies, and a patient-facing NHS App with 34 million registered users. The COVID-19 vaccine booking infrastructure delivered 150 million doses using the same digital foundations built during the transformation.

Michelin pivoted from selling tyres to selling mobility solutions through its Effifuel, Effitires, and MICHELIN Track Connect platforms, offering tyre performance monitoring, road mapping (ViaMichelin), and fleet management SaaS. By 2025, digital and services revenue represented 20% of group turnover, demonstrating how a 130-year-old industrial brand can reinvent its value proposition through data.

Bosch's decade-long digital transformation invested €5 billion in IoT and AI capabilities, resulting in its Bosch IoT Suite platform connecting over 1 billion devices across manufacturing, mobility, and smart home sectors. The Bosch Manufacturing Solutions division uses AI-based visual inspection on 100 production lines, reducing defect rates by up to 30% across its global factory network.