Research shows tech growth in manufacturing off to a fast start in 2025
What you’ll learn:
- The Revalize survey showed that adopting new technologies (36%), developing new products (29%), and improving data security and data protection (26%) are top goals for manufacturers in 2025.
- Manufacturing and engineering professionals are preparing for the workforce by upskilling existing talent (39%) and encouraging continuous learning (37%).
Jacksonville, Florida-based CAD, CPQ, and PLM software vendor Revalize is out with new research showing that manufacturers seem to be off to a strong start in 2025 when it comes to growing and updating their production technology.
Perhaps most notably, 70% of manufacturing professionals reported increased software budgets, and nearly all businesses plan to invest in Industrial IoT (IIoT) platforms, sustainable technologies, and cloud-based manufacturing in the coming year, according to the Revalize report, “Smart Manufacturing 2025: Trends Shaping the Digital-First Era and Beyond."
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The software vendor surveyed 500 CPQ, PLM, engineering modeling and simulation software decision-makers in the U.S. and Germany.
Revalize’s report identifies three key themes where manufacturers will focus in 2025 and beyond: tools and talent; data security; and keeping up with new tech and the skills shortage.
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Overall, it found organizations will double down on investments in software and their manufacturing and engineering teams in 2025.
Manufacturing will play a major role in the success of the economy, with industry accounting for 13.6% of the global employed population and about 16% of the global GDP. Despite the predicted growth, Revalize's research found that manufacturing will face several challenges in the next year as they navigate the rapidly changing technological landscape.
Evolving technologies such as AI, advanced robotics, and IoT will change what a competitive advantage looks like moving forward, and companies will also need to retrain and upskill their workforces to adapt to new tools and conditions, the report found.
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Manufacturing “stands on the brink of a transformative era driven by advanced technologies such as AI, Industry 4.0, and cloud-based solutions,” said Mike Sabin, CEO of Revalize.
“While that's exciting, we also recognize that manufacturers will continue to face challenges, including supply chain disruptions, skilled labor shortages, and increasingly sophisticated security threats."
More findings from the report were:
- 91% of respondents plan to adopt new technologies, tools, or software in the next 12 months.
- 70% of respondents reported an increase in their organization's software budget compared to last year, and 57% have increased their team's headcount.
- 28% of respondents expect AI to have major impacts on the industry by 2050, the most of any trend or technology that Revalize surveyed, while 43% plan to adopt AI-powered quality control solutions.
- 29% of respondents state that their organization plans to adopt sustainable technology this year. Additionally, 21% predict enhanced sustainability and green manufacturing will have the biggest impact on the manufacturing industry by 2050.
