Attracting, managing and retaining workers could be an ongoing challenge, as the data from an international survey suggests, among other findings

Based on a survey of 1,567 respondents with roles from management up to the C-suite of 17 of the top manufacturing countries* across industries such as Consumer Packaged Goods, Food & Beverage, Automotive, Semiconductor, Energy, Life Sciences, etc., on smart manufacturing, some key global and Asia Pacific region (APAC) findings were announced.

Globally, 83% of respondents cited expectations to use generative AI (GenAI) in their operations in 2024. Also, 95% were using or evaluating smart manufacturing technology — up from 84% in a similar survey for 2023. 

Next, 94% cited plans to maintain or grow their workforce due to smart manufacturing technology adoption, and repurposing workers to new or different roles and/or hiring more workers. The leading obstacle cited by respondents was change management this year. 

Also, respondents cited “improved quality” as the top positive outcome they hoped to achieve from existing smart manufacturing technology, similar to a previous year’s ranking. Additionally, “quality control” was ranked as the top AI/ML use case in 2024. Cybersecurity was ranked third overall as one of the top five external risks, while energy management was the factor that mattered most to respondents sustainability/ESG programs

Key APAC findings

Defining China, Japan, India and South Korea as the region representing APAC’s top manufacturing countries, the following findings were gleaned from respondents’ feedback:

  • AI/ML, Smart Manufacturing
    • 48% APAC respondents were investing in increased automation; 44% were introducing AI or ML technologies
    • 69% planned to adopt smart manufacturing within the next six to 11 months: 56% higher than a similar survey for 2023
    • 43% cited improved quality as the number one expectation from existing smart manufacturing technology
  • Sustainability/ESG
    • 91% of APAC respondents cited having some form of formal ESG policy: 53% had a company-broad policy; 38% had related policies limited to specific locations
    • 36% were looking to adopt technology for tracking/quantifying sustainable practices
  • People
    • 40% of respondents from the APAC cohort cited adding/using technology to create more engaging jobs
    • 35% were looking to upskill existing talent
    • 27% cited a lack of skilled workers as one of their biggest concerns alongside speed (28%) and the ability to use data to make decisions (25%)

Finally, 35% of APAC respondents cited cybersecurity as the top external challenge. Cybersecurity ranked as the second skill respondents in APAC were seeking in 2024, and one of the top use cases for AI/ML over the next three years.

According to Cyril Perducat, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Rockwell Automation, the firm that commissioned the survey: “A skilled workforce is the cornerstone of any successful manufacturing operation, but attracting, managing and retaining workers is proving to be an ongoing challenge,” and that respondents need to focus their staff on embracing new technology as a core part of their evolving organizational culture to create a “technology/worker partnership that drives their business forward.”

* company revenues spanning from US$100m to over US$30bn