Global Corporate Survey 2025: Industrial Transformation Budgets, Priorities And Tech Preferences

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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.

Table of contents

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

Table of figures

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

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 Center for Global Development, in the Sustainable Finance Team, as a research assistant. Lucas holds a BA in History, Politics and Economics from University College London (UCL), and an advanced diploma in Economics from Cambridge University.

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 and software solutions for industrial risk and asset management. Malavika has over 15 years’ experience in research and strategy consulting. Malavika previously worked at Frost & Sullivan, managing and delivering advisory projects for clients involving expansion, acquisition, benchmarking and product development strategies. Malavika holds a MSc in Economics from Madras School of Economics.

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