Global Corporate Survey 2025: Industrial Transformation Budgets, Priorities And Tech Preferences
17 Jan, 2025
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Executive Summary
This report provides senior managers in operations, engineering, maintenance, process safety, and data science and IT functions with a benchmark of their peers’ industrial transformation budgets, priorities and technology choices. The data – drawn from 304 respondents across 19 industries and 14 economic regions, with 77% representing firms with revenues greater than $1 billion – can guide decision-making by executives at technology vendors and service providers, as they shape offerings to meet evolving customer needs. Budgets remain strong as firms look ahead to 2025, with 84% of respondents planning to raise maintenance spend and a majority increasing investment in production optimization, safer operations, and predictive maintenance initiatives. Respondents outlined technology preferences and adoption plans, noting rising interest in plant simulation and AI-based analytics, as well as an ongoing shift towards more proactive maintenance and improved data infrastructure. This survey provides a clear picture of the industrial digitization trajectory and the strategies firms are prioritizing to boost efficiency, safety and resilience in the year ahead.
Summary for decision-makers
Industrial transformation survey of 304 decision-makers
Industrial transformation programmes are coordinated across multiple functions and regions
Spend on industrial transformation initiatives continues to rise in 2025
A proactive approach to maintenance is still lacking
Digital transformation remains an engine for industrial transformation investments
Availability of innovative tech drives industrial digital transformation initiatives
Asset management software continues to be a key area of investment
Process safety management (PSM) is still a core topic
AI and data management is a new priority for firms
Industrial transformation survey of 304 decision-makers
Industrial transformation programmes are coordinated across multiple functions and regions
Spend on industrial transformation initiatives continues to rise in 2025
A proactive approach to maintenance is still lacking
Digital transformation remains an engine for industrial transformation investments
Availability of innovative tech drives industrial digital transformation initiatives
Asset management software continues to be a key area of investment
Process safety management (PSM) is still a core topic
AI and data management is a new priority for firms
Figure 1. Revenue breakdown of survey respondents
Figure 2. Business function of survey respondents
Figure 3. Industry breakdown of survey respondents
Figure 4. Geographic location of survey respondents
Figure 5. Change in spend on industrial transformation initiatives in the next 12 months
Figure 6. Current maintenance practices
Figure 7. Maintenance budget changes
Figure 8. Factors driving digital transformation of plant operations
Figure 9. Rollout of connected worker technologies in 2025
Figure 10. Differing approaches to the use of software
Figure 11. Change in plant operations and maintenance software spend for the next 12 months
Figure 12. Process safety management (PSM) priorities for industrial firms
Figure 13. Software investment plans for PSM activities
Figure 14. Expected impact of innovative technologies
Figure 15. Current use of GenAI
Figure 16. Ranking of high-value use cases of AI
Figure 17. Data management strategies
Figure 18. Barriers to industrial AI analytics projects
Figure 2. Business function of survey respondents
Figure 3. Industry breakdown of survey respondents
Figure 4. Geographic location of survey respondents
Figure 5. Change in spend on industrial transformation initiatives in the next 12 months
Figure 6. Current maintenance practices
Figure 7. Maintenance budget changes
Figure 8. Factors driving digital transformation of plant operations
Figure 9. Rollout of connected worker technologies in 2025
Figure 10. Differing approaches to the use of software
Figure 11. Change in plant operations and maintenance software spend for the next 12 months
Figure 12. Process safety management (PSM) priorities for industrial firms
Figure 13. Software investment plans for PSM activities
Figure 14. Expected impact of innovative technologies
Figure 15. Current use of GenAI
Figure 16. Ranking of high-value use cases of AI
Figure 17. Data management strategies
Figure 18. Barriers to industrial AI analytics projects
Al Tasnim, General Mills, SafetyQube, HighByte, PEMAC, ABB, Kingspan, Fluke Reliability, Altair Engineering, Cognite, Hypertherm, Endress+Hauser, Cenosco, Hexagon, Baker Hughes, Trendminer, GE Vernova, OpenAI, SAP, Cority, Prometheus Group, SymphonyAI, AspenTech, ORYX GTL, Augury, Sphera, AVEVA, Nestlé, Augmentir, IBM, Enablon, C3 AI, Siemens, Nanoprecise, FANUC, Colgate-Palmolive, Cereal Partners Worldwide, Suncor Energy, Sanofi, Holcim
About the Authors

Lucas Sala
Analyst
Lucas Sala is an Analyst in the Industrial Transformation practice. His area of focus is analytical decision-making tools. Prior to joining Verdantix, Lucas worked at the Cent…
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Malavika Tohani
Research Director, Industrial Transformation
Malavika leads the Verdantix Industrial Transformation practice. Her current research agenda focuses on digital technologies for Operational Excellence including digital twins…
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