Survey indicates interconnectivity is key

Yet while the results reveal a sector that sees robotics and autonomous production as the key priorities, the survey also uncovered that for the greatest commercial edge, these technologies must interconnect rather than be deployed in isolation.

The findings come following a recent poll of more than 100 engineering and manufacturing professionals who were asked where they believe industrial automation investment will deliver the greatest competitive advantage for their business over the next five years.

Robotics and autonomous production topped the poll at 41%, followed by smart/connected factories at 33%. Meanwhile, AI-driven predictive maintenance was selected by 14%, and sustainability-focused investment completed the picture with 12%.

Respondents also highlighted that these four investment areas are deeply interconnected. Several pointed to the role of data and AI as an essential layer that underpins the value of every other investment, from enabling predictive maintenance that tackles unplanned downtime to making connected factories genuinely intelligent rather than simply networked. Others framed the four areas as a value chain, with each contributing to an overall reduction in total cost of ownership and linked the trajectory to the broader shift from Industry 4.0 into Industry 5.0 production environments.

The results highlight the continued pressure on manufacturers to increase output, improve efficiency and maintain flexibility while operating with leaner teams and tighter cost controls.

Daniel Coetzee, vice president: growth, industrial automation for IMI, comments: "What stands out from these results isn't just that robotics leads the poll, it's that several technologies need to work together to truly drive commercial benefits. Our customers are telling us that the competitive advantage won't come from any single investment, but from the intelligence and connectivity built around it.

"That aligns with what we see across our customer base. The businesses making the most progress aren't necessarily those making the largest capital commitments; they're the ones taking a more targeted approach, using smarter components, better data and more connected systems to unlock meaningful, measurable gains from their existing operations. A good example is the impact of linking the performance insight produced by technologies such as sensors and actuators as part of an engineered system to the potential of AI to derive increased value from plant devices.

"For many industrial businesses, the opportunity isn't a wholesale transformation, it's about making incremental, well-judged improvements that compound over time. That's where we see the greatest competitive advantage being built right now."

IMI’s Industrial Automation sector works with customers globally to develop application-specific automation solutions that help improve productivity, efficiency and responsiveness, helping businesses realise the benefits of smarter automation without unnecessary complexity or disruption.

www.norgren.com/en