What research among manufacturing companies reveals about the path toward 2026

Research involving hundreds of manufacturing companies provides a clear picture of where the sector is heading. The industry is facing significant change, but the findings also show that many organizations are actively working on improvement. Companies are seeking a balance between continuity and innovation—building on what works today while preparing for what will be needed tomorrow.

Across the sector, manufacturing companies are taking a more critical look at how they operate and are making more deliberate choices about where to focus their efforts.

The trends shaping the path in 2026 are closely interconnected. Labor shortages are driving new approaches to planning and organizing work. Ongoing cost pressure is increasing attention on efficiency and process control. At the same time, digitalization is being deployed to make work more manageable and to better support employees on the shop floor and beyond.

What stands out is that companies are increasingly viewing these developments in context—not as isolated initiatives, but as elements of a broader, integrated approach to improvement.

In many modern manufacturing environments, workers and industrial robots are already collaborating more closely, reflecting this shift toward smarter and more connected ways of working.

Many manufacturing companies indicate that they want to move away from constantly reacting to incidents and disruptions. Instead, they aim to steer toward structural, long-term improvement.

This does not mean that everything must change at once. Rather, it means that choices are being made more consciously. The research shows that organizations taking steps in this direction typically start with insight: understanding where bottlenecks occur, where processes slow down, and where things already run smoothly. That insight forms the foundation for focused and realistic improvement initiatives.

Looking ahead toward the rest of 2026 is not about predicting the future, but about preparing for it. The 2026 Manufacturing Trends Report helps organizations interpret current developments and place them in perspective.

The report offers both recognition of the challenges manufacturing companies face today and a sense of direction for the years ahead. This enables organizations to make informed decisions that fit their specific context, ambitions, and pace of change.