WI-ROCKWELL-AUTOMATION
26.3.2024 12:01:26 CET | Business Wire | Press release
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, today announced the results of the 9th annual “State of Smart Manufacturing Report.” The global study surveyed more than 1,500 manufacturers across 17 of the leading manufacturing countries.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240326554889/en/
Rockwell Automation's 9th annual State of Smart Manufacturing Report (Graphic: Business Wire)
This year’s report reveals a focus on harnessing new and emerging technologies to build resiliency, improve quality, maximize workforce potential, and drive sustainable growth.
“A skilled workforce is the cornerstone of any successful manufacturing operation, but attracting, managing and retaining workers is proving to be an ongoing challenge,” said Cyril Perducat, senior vice president and chief technology officer, Rockwell Automation. “The survey found technology alone is not the answer. To remain competitive, manufacturers need to focus their staff on embracing new technology as a core part of their evolving organizational culture, creating a technology/worker partnership that drives their business forward.”
Key global findings include:
- AI ranks as the top capability that manufacturers believe will drive the biggest business outcomes. 83% of manufacturers expect to use generative AI (GenAI) in their operations in 2024.
- 95% of manufacturers are using or evaluating smart manufacturing technology – up from 84% in 2023.
- 94% of manufacturers plan to maintain or grow their workforce due to smart manufacturing technology adoption, with a heavy focus on repurposing workers to new or different roles and/or hiring more workers.
- Change management is the leading workforce-related obstacle for manufacturers in 2024.
- Manufacturers cite “improved quality” as the top positive outcome they hope to achieve from existing smart manufacturing technology for a second consecutive year. Additionally, “quality control” ranks as the #1 AI/Machine Learning use case in 2024.
- For the first time, cybersecurity is listed as one of the top five external risks for manufacturers in 2024, ranking third overall.
- Energy management is the factor that matters most to manufacturers’ sustainability/ESG programs.
“The workforce of 2019 is not coming back,” said Allison Kuhn, principal analyst, LNS Research. “Developing a sustainable workforce strategy is critical to successfully navigate daunting manufacturing challenges. Leaders are winning the war for talent by embracing this new reality and with a laser focus on three imperatives: 1) Total Employee Experience, 2) Servant Leadership, and 3) Connected Frontline Workforce (CFW) Applications.”
Manufacturers continue to face a significant challenge: combining people, processes, and technology to drive long-term business growth and resilience. According to the report, around one-third of manufacturing leaders cite “matching technology and talent to business need” and “effectively managing people and resources” as the biggest obstacles their organizations face over the next year. Manufacturers can overcome this challenge by selecting a partner with relevant industry expertise and experience who can provide tailored solutions and support in aligning technology and talent with business objectives.
“At Rockwell, the combination of our deep industry expertise with our exceptional PartnerNetwork™ puts us in the best position to advise and guide leading global manufacturers. Being the largest company dedicated solely to industrial automation and digital transformation, we strive to help companies realize the promise and value of their digital transformation, no matter where they are in their journey,” said Perducat.
The full findings of the report can be found here.
Methodology
This report analyzed feedback from 1,567 respondents from 17 of the top manufacturing countries with roles from management up to the C-suite and was conducted in association with Rockwell Automation and Sapio Research. The survey pulled from a range of industries including Consumer Packaged Goods, Food & Beverage, Automotive, Semiconductor, Energy, Life Sciences, and more. With a balanced distribution of company sizes with revenues spanning $100 million to over $30 billion, it offers a wide breadth of manufacturing business perspectives.
About Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 29,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com.
About the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork™
Rockwell Automation believes we're better together—and we do our part by delivering an expansive, global partner ecosystem of market-leading technology, superior support and services, and an integrated and streamlined approach to business. Succeed on an international scale by utilizing our network's breadth of innovative technologies and services that no single vendor can provide alone. To learn more about how the PartnerNetwork is helping to deliver the value of The Connected Enterprise, visit PartnerNetwork Program.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240326554889/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
HighRadius Launches $0 Implementation Fee, $0 Subscription Fee via Outcome Based Pricing for oCFO Software27.2.2026 12:00:00 CET | Press release
HighRadius launches Office of the CFO first Outcome Based Pricing with $0 Implementation fee and $0 Subscription until Go-Live. Customers only pay a fraction of realized gains based on P&L impact. Chapter 1: Outcome Based Pricing (OBP)Introduction of OBP: HighRadius, a provider of 190+ AI agents for Order-to-Cash, Accounts Payable, Record-to-Report, and Treasury introduces Outcome Based Pricing (OBP). Three Components of OBP: Customers pay a) $0 in Implementation fees, b) $0 in Subscription fees until Go Live, c) HighRadius earns a fraction of the actual savings realized by the client. Chapter 2: US GAAP & ASC 606 ConstraintsNot Designed for Innovation: The traditional ASC 606 model requires companies to standardize and recognize revenue based on contractual obligations. For a traditional SaaS subscription, the obligation is access to software over time. AI agents are designed to deliver quantifiable, real-time Business Outcomes that do not fit the traditional accounting framework. Cha
Kioxia Appoints Yoshihiko Kawamura as Chief Financial Officer27.2.2026 09:15:00 CET | Press release
Kioxia Holdings Corporation (TOKYO:285A), a world leader in memory solutions, today announced the appointment of Yoshihiko Kawamura as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective April 1, 2026. Mr. Kawamura brings extensive international experience to Kioxia, having held assignments at Mitsubishi Corporation’s U.S. headquarters, served as General Manager of its Chicago office, and completed a tenure at the World Bank. At Hitachi, Ltd., he held senior leadership positions, including Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Chief Risk Management Officer (CRMO), where he was instrumental in leading the company’s management reforms. Since joining Kioxia as Executive Vice President in June 2025, Mr. Kawamura has worked closely with the executive team to advance the business through strategic capital and financial planning. Following its initial public offering on the Prime Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December 2024, Kioxia is entering a new phase of growth char
DNP Invests in Rapidus to Support the Establishment of Mass Production for Next-Generation Semiconductors27.2.2026 08:18:00 CET | Press release
Will accelerate the development and mass production of EUV lithography photomasks Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP, TOKYO:7912) today announced that it has participated in Rapidus Corporation’s funding round as one of the round investors. This strategic funding initiative supports Rapidus’ plan to steadily progress from its current R&D phase to mass production of 2nm (10⁻⁹ meters) logic semiconductors by 2027. Through this initiative, DNP will advance the development and mass production of EUV lithography photomasks and support Rapidus as it establishes a mass production system for 2nm & next-generation semiconductors. Background In recent years, the rise in energy consumption, in line with increased data generation, has become a challenge, driving demand for next-generation semiconductors capable of improving device performance and reducing power consumption. Next-generation semiconductors manufactured using EUV lithography enable the formation of finer patterns on silicon wafers co
EdgeConneX Looks to Enter Swedish Market as Part of European Data Center Expansion Strategy27.2.2026 08:05:00 CET | Press release
Planned data center campus in Skellefteå would support future AI and cloud infrastructure needs EdgeConneX®, an EQT portfolio company with an extensive Pan-European data center footprint, looks to expand its presence with a new site located in Skellefteå, Sweden. The data center site will be acquired from Lyten, a global company that specializes in lithium-sulfur batteries and energy storage. The site would support EdgeConneX broader strategy to expand digital infrastructure capacity across the Nordics. Subject to the completion of applicable administrative and regulatory processes, EdgeConneX will look to develop a data center campus with potential capacity of up to one gigawatt in support of future AI and cloud computing workloads. Upon completion, the data center campus would be one of the largest facilities in Europe that would be primarily powered by renewable energy. “Sweden represents an attractive long‑term market for digital infrastructure investment. The country’s access to r
Lyten Completes Acquisition of Northvolt Sweden and Establishes its First Lyten Industrial Hub in Sweden27.2.2026 08:00:00 CET | Press release
Lyten announces it has completed the acquisition of Northvolt’s battery assets in Sweden, totaling nearly $5B in value.The Skellefteå battery site, Northvolt Ett, is resuming operations and plans to deliver commercial cells in 2H 2026.Lyten announces the establishment of the Lyten Industrial Hub in Skellefteå, Sweden to co-locate battery manufacturing, data centers, and additional manufacturing activities.In connection with the closing, EdgeConneX, a portfolio company of EQT, plans to acquire a data center site from Lyten, with potential capacity of up to one gigawatt. Lyten, a global leader in lithium-sulfur batteries and energy storage, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Northvolt Ett and Ett Expansion (Skellefteå, Sweden) and Northvolt Labs (Västerås, Sweden). The Northvolt Sweden acquisition includes 16 GWh of existing battery manufacturing capacity, more than 160 hectares of land, infrastructure and buildings to support expanded manufacturing and industrial a
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom