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Manufacturers are increasing their investments in digital assets, according to a recent survey from the Manufacturing Leadership Council, the NAM’s digital transformation division.
 
What’s going on: Due in large part to expectations of economic growth, manufacturers plan to either maintain or boost their spending on smart factory investments, they told the MLC in the recently published results of the Smart Factories and Digital Production Survey.

• Respondents also said they are optimistic about continued digitization and adoption, with 69% expecting moderate growth and no recession.
• While 28% would call their current operations “smart” or “somewhat smart,” 76% expect to be there in the next two years.
• Awareness of AI is growing by leaps and bounds among manufacturers; some 34% said they see AI as very significant. (Last year, just 10% said the same.)   

Key points: The survey’s top takeaways include the following:

• Digital transformation is changing the game: Most manufacturers—60%—see digital transformation as something that is redefining the industry.
• More manufacturers are going digital: Some 75% of manufacturers say they are at “midlevel” digital maturity, up significantly from 2024 and 2023.
• AI’s role is inevitable: Fully 80% of manufacturers fully or partially agree self-managing and self-learning facilities powered by AI and machine learning are coming.