Royal Canin Shanghai becomes first pet food plant named WEF Global Lighthouse

CHINA – Mars-owned pet nutrition company Royal Canin has become the first pet food manufacturer worldwide to receive the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Lighthouse Network with Distinction in Customer Centricity recognition, following the selection of its Shanghai manufacturing facility for its advanced use of digital technologies to improve production efficiency and customer service.

The recognition also makes the Shanghai facility the first Mars manufacturing site to achieve Global Lighthouse status.

The World Economic Forum’s Global Lighthouse Network recognises the world’s most advanced manufacturing and supply chain facilities that successfully deploy Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies.

The technologies include artificial intelligence (AI), automation, advanced analytics and digital connectivity to deliver measurable operational improvements.

The Customer Centricity Distinction, awarded to only eight facilities globally in the latest cohort, specifically recognises manufacturers that use these technologies to improve customised production, product quality, supply chain responsiveness and customer satisfaction.

Royal Canin earned the recognition after implementing more than 40 digital solutions across its manufacturing and supply chain operations.

These include a satellite-powered system developed with the Academy of National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration that predicts wheat mycotoxin risks up to one month before harvest, AI-driven drying processes that improve product consistency while reducing energy consumption, and a “Smart Eye” digital control tower that optimises nationwide product distribution.

According to the company, these technologies have reduced in-line production defects by 70% while maintaining customer service levels above 98%.

“The newest Lighthouse sites show how intelligence is becoming embedded into the fabric of operations, enabling organisations to respond faster, learn continuously, and unlock new levels of performance across their value chains,” said Kiva Allgood, Managing Director at the World Economic Forum.

Operational since 2010, the Shanghai facility has maintained zero food safety incidents and zero microbial non-compliance while retaining Mars’ highest internal manufacturing rating for 820 consecutive weeks.

Royal Canin General Manager for China Xu Juan described the recognition as a new milestone for the company, saying the Shanghai facility will serve as a benchmark for expanding digital manufacturing capabilities across its operations in China.

The company said it plans to leverage the expertise developed at the Shanghai site across its Shanghai-Tianjin manufacturing network as it continues supporting the growth of China’s pet care industry.

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