Industrial Transformation Leaders’ Series: 2026 Predictions

Executive Summary

As fractured supply chains, unstable energy markets, expanding use of AI and robotics, shrinking labour pools and unpredictable policy shifts become the norm, traditional operating models will lag behind industrial leaders’ needs and expectations. Organizations will prioritize responsive systems and resilience-first models in order to achieve one of the year’s key goals: building industrial agility.

Our predictions for 2026 guide is designed to help asset maintenance, reliability and operations leaders navigate these expectations, offering a glimpse of what to expect in the year ahead.


 

About the Authors

Malavika Tohani

Malavika Tohani

Research Director

Malavika is a Research Director at Verdantix, guiding research that explores how digital technologies and services are reshaping industrial operations to become safer, more ef...

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Kiran Darmasseelane

Kiran Darmasseelane

Senior Manager

Kiran is a Senior Manager at Verdantix, delivering data-driven insights on emerging technologies and global market trends for asset-intensive sectors such as energy, manufactu...

Oliver Bridges

Oliver Bridges

Analyst

Olly is an Analyst at Verdantix in the Industrial Transformation team. Having previously worked as a nuclear engineer at Frazer-Nash Consultancy, he brings experience in deliv...

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