Revalize study: Manufacturing AI adoption shifts from boom to integration

A new study by Revalize, a provider of PLM, CAD, and CPQ software, reveals that the manufacturing industry is transitioning from an initial AI boom into a functional AI era. Based on a survey of 500 executives across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the USA, and the UK, the report titled ‘Goodwill is not enough to scale AI’ indicates that while companies are moving pilot projects into broader applications, they struggle to establish the necessary foundations in data, workforce, and integration to prove return on investment (ROI).

The study found that the proportion of manufacturing companies with advanced or broad AI adoption rose from 36% in the first quarter of 2026 to 60% just six months later. Only 8% of surveyed firms remain in the initial exploration phase.

Despite this integration, a gap exists between perceived and proven success. While 72% of executives attribute business results to AI, 50% of manufacturers worldwide record AI outcomes only informally or inconsistently. The report highlights a disconnect between executive ambitions and operational realities, noting that the ability to scale is hindered by insufficient infrastructure and processes.