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REPORT: Agile Leaders Confront the AI Skills Gap Learn more
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Smart
Manufacturing
2026

How Agile Leaders Are
Confronting the AI Skills Gap

93% of manufacturers will adopt new technologies during 2026.
Download our new report to discover if these investments will have a real impact, or wither under integration challenges and talent gaps.

Download Now
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AI continues to reshape manufacturing, creating new opportunities for efficiency, growth, and competitive advantage. Yet, as organizations adopt AI-enabled automation, tools for more efficient and accurate quoting, product configuration platforms, and other solutions, many still face challenges with legacy system integration, data quality, and workforce readiness.

Top applications of digital modeling and simulations technology continue to expand, with leaders leveraging simulation for:

43%

performance
testing

39%

design
verification

36%

manufacturing
process simulation

The Smart Manufacturing 2026 Report reveals how today’s most agile organizations are navigating these challenges while building a stronger digital foundation for the future. This data-rich research provides an insider look at the technologies manufacturers are prioritizing, where talent gaps persist, and how businesses are using purpose-built solutions to reduce complexity and improve speed and accuracy when calculating pricing and generating proposals.

Complete the form to access the Smart Manufacturing 2026 Report and see what’s shaping tomorrow’s manufacturing strategies.

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To understand these trends, we surveyed 500 software decision makers across North America and DACH. Here’s what we discovered:

  • Top applications of digital modeling and simulations technology continue to expand, with leaders leveraging simulation for performance testing (43%), design verification (39%), and manufacturing process simulation (36%).
  • Modeling and simulation are becoming essential as firms work to reduce errors, lower costs, and speed time‑to‑market across design and production.
  • Integration challenges remain a significant barrier, as teams struggle with embedding modeling tools into workflows (34%), integrating with existing systems (33%), and ensuring data accuracy (31%).

Whether you’re responsible for operations, product development, engineering, or digital transformation, this report highlights where the industry is trending and how to stay ahead. 

Today, organizations are accelerating investments in AI to unlock efficiency, resilience, and a competitive advantage. Yet the question remains: are these investments translating into measurable impact, or are they stalling under the weight of integration challenges and talent gaps?