PwC: Manufacturing automation adoption rate to more than double by 2030

A survey of hundreds of executives shows their greatest interest lies in adopting technology at the production/operations and product design/development levels.

By: Nathan Owens

• Published on February 27, 2026

According to the industry outlook released by PricewaterhouseCoopers in February, manufacturers expect their adoption rate of automation, artificial intelligence, and other advanced technologies tomore than double。

The UK-based professional services firm (PwC) surveyed 443 global industrial manufacturing executives for the report. Respondents said the median adoption rate of advanced technology across their operations will rise from 26% to 68% within five years.

The report shows that the two areas with the highest current adoption of advanced technology are production/operations and product design/development. In other areas with relatively lower adoption rates, such as business support functions like finance and human resources, adoption is expected to quadruple by the end of the decade.

For manufacturers looking to deploy AI and automation in their operations to boost efficiency or create growth opportunities in the $16 trillion industry, the race has begun, but companies are starting from different points.

Ryan Hawk, PwC's global and US industrial and services leader and author of the manufacturing outlook report, said in an email that the gap between "future-ready" companies and those falling behind due to poor data quality, skills gaps, or fragmented systems is widening. As technological and capability advantages compound, this gap could widen further.

"The question is no longer whether companies will adopt new technologies, but how quickly they can integrate them," Hawk said. "When automation becomes ubiquitous, the advantage will shift from who owns the tools to who can coordinate them across the enterprise."

Automation of key business processes, such as data collection and analysis and physical production, is expected to surge. According to PwC's forecast, by 2030, the adoption rate of highly automated processes will nearly triple, extending from front and back offices to R&D and the shop floor. The survey results show that technology enablement is more evenly distributed across the value chain, not just limited to production/operations.

Hawk called this even distribution "the most eye-opening" finding. He said it signals a fundamental shift toward AI-assisted engineering, digital twins, and more simulation-driven development, "not just smarter factories." Additionally, industry interest insensor technology and physical AIis also growing.

As technology enablement and automation increase, manufacturers are seeking revenue streams beyond their core products. Hawk said they are positioning themselves as "integrated solutions" providers, combining hardware with software, data, services, and technical support. For example, Deere & Co. has begun moving beyond equipment manufacturing towarddigital platforms。

that help farmers make better decisions faster.

"They are no longer just shipping equipment; they want to control the entire lifecycle from predictive maintenance to data-driven optimization," he said. "In many cases, this requires ecosystem partnerships and new capabilities that were not at the core of the organization five to ten years ago."

PwC survey respondents expect that by 2030, "a full 44%" of their company's total revenue will come from areas outside of manufacturing industrial or consumer products. The top three "growth hotspots" are: technology, digital, and communications products and services; defense, government, and education products; and energy and fuel production and distribution.

In the process of technology adoption, cultivating a strong company culture is also crucial for manufacturers. Hawk said that when leaders are confident about digital transformation but frontline teams feel insecure or lack support while learning new skills, adoption slows.

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