Cognite Flows brings AI tools to industrial front line
Tue, 12th May 2026 (Today)
Cognite has launched Cognite Flows for industrial users and developers. The product is already in use across nearly 30% of its customer base and partner network.
The software provides a single-screen interface for factory and industrial teams, combining AI-driven recommendations, operational data and applications in one workspace. Built on Cognite's Industrial Knowledge Graph, it keeps data and insights tied to live operating context.
It also changes how industrial software is developed. Developers can use agentic AI coding tools and AI-native architecture to build and deploy tailored applications much faster than with conventional approaches, with implementation in some cases measured in days rather than months.
Today, more than 30% of Cognite's customer base and key partners have already been enabled with Flows, including Cognite customers B. Braun and Idemitsu Kosan, and launch partners Radix, L&T Technology Services, and RoviSys.
User workflow
A central aim is to reduce the need for operators and engineers to move between disconnected systems while handling routine and urgent tasks. Instead, the interface presents data, recommendations and workflow tools in a unified environment tailored to each worker.
That front-line focus reflects a broader push among industrial software suppliers to make AI tools more directly usable in plants, refineries and production sites, rather than limiting them to central technical teams. For many manufacturers and energy groups, the challenge has been connecting fragmented operational data and turning it into tools staff can use in day-to-day work.
"As the world becomes more data-driven, organizations' success now relies on their ability to leverage AI to optimize and automate business processes. Industrial organizations, in particular, struggle to scale their AI initiatives because they need specialized capabilities not easily supported by horizontal enterprise technologies," said Jonathan Lang, Research Director at IDC. "Cognite Flows builds on the company's core capabilities and has the potential to represent a significant leap in how industrial AI–built the right way–can improve the industrial experience for users and developers alike."
Customer use
Several customers outlined how they are applying the software in operations. Idemitsu is using it to capture accumulated plant knowledge and expertise in digital form, while B. Braun is using it to improve visibility into asset health across its sites.
At Idemitsu, the focus is on preserving specialist knowledge held by experienced staff and making it more accessible through AI-based tools.
"One of the most urgent challenges at our production sites has been how to effectively capture the specialized knowledge and experience accumulated over many years and transform it into a digital legacy. The applications built using Cognite Flows represent a fundamental transformation that goes far beyond simple visualization tools. By leveraging real-time knowledge graphs, we expect these tools to evolve into proactive AI agents capable of managing complex operations," said Naruki Akiyama, Advanced System Development Group Leader, System Innovation Technology Office, Technology & Engineering Centre, Idemitsu.
B. Braun said the product helped it refine how operational data is presented to users in a short period.
"Gaining true operational transparency is foundational to our digital strategy, and Cognite Flows has provided us with a unified and contextualized view of our entire data landscape," said Dr. Michael Kaiser, Operational Technology Leader at B. Braun. "Its flexibility and interoperability enabled rapid UX refinement. Within four weeks, we improved how we visualize and use asset data, with near-instant updates driven by user feedback."
Cognite also cited work with a global pharmaceutical company that cut the time needed to deliver automated AI workflows. According to the company, work that would normally have required a team of more than 20 people and several months to build a prototype was completed in four days, while the lead-up to user acceptance testing was reduced to two months from a typical six to nine months.
Partner role
Partners are expected to play a significant role in deploying the software for industrial customers. Radix said it has already used Cognite Flows in a joint customer engagement.
"The partnership between Radix and Cognite has always been about driving digital transformation at scale, and now with Cognite Flows, we can do it at an unprecedented pace. Cognite Flows allows us to focus on what we do best-solving complex industrial challenges-while removing the traditional friction of app development. This means we can deliver more value to our customers faster than ever before, transforming how mission-critical industrial applications are built and maintained."
"The plant floor on to supply chain and fulfillment has long dealt with fragmented technologies stitched together to enable a workflow. Cognite Flows, with the application of AI on a foundation of contextualized data, brings value acceleration to manufacturers in new and powerful ways," said Girish Rishi, CEO of Cognite. "Modern AI tools provide a new paradigm for rapid use case development in the broader enterprise space. Cognite Flows brings that experience to the industrial sector."