Rockwell Automation, Inc., the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, has officially announced the results of its 10th annual “State of Smart Manufacturing Report: Life Sciences Edition.”
Going by the available, this particular study packs together responses of more than 143 leaders from life sciences manufacturers across 15 of the leading manufacturing countries.
To understand the significance behind such a survey, we must touch upon the way life sciences manufacturers today are struggling against the prospect of keeping up with growing demand, rising costs, growing cybersecurity threats, and complex compliance requirements. In case that wasn’t enough, they also must navigate economic uncertainty, as well as ongoing workforce challenges.
Against that, almost 95% of life sciences manufacturers are found to use or evaluate smart technology. More on that would reveal how companies are using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve product quality, protect systems, and support employees where skilled labor is hard to find.
“Life sciences manufacturers are entering a new phase of digital maturity, driven by increasing regulatory complexity and mounting pressure to improve time-to-market without sacrificing quality,” said Matt Weaver, Vice President, Global Industry – Life Sciences, Rockwell Automation. “This year’s report makes it clear that AI is becoming indispensable to modern life sciences manufacturing—not just to optimize efficiency, but to strengthen product quality, secure critical infrastructure, and upskill the workforce. There’s a clear shift toward long-term thinking as leaders double down on digital investments that make operations more connected, adaptive, and resilient.”
Talk about the whole report on a slightly deeper level, we begin from the fact that most companies are leveraging AI to improve quality (53%), streamline operations (50%), and strengthen cybersecurity (48%).
Next up, Rockwell’s report further revealed that hiring remains a major challenge. We get to say so because nearly 26% of leaders say finding skilled workers is their biggest barrier to growth in 2025.
Having said so, the study in question also found technology playing a critical role in filling talent gaps. This translates to how almost half of all surveyed life sciences manufacturers are betting on AI (48%) and automation (46%) to support their workforce.
Out of that, emerging tech seems to be gaining an important level of traction. You see, around 36% respondents plan to invest in generative or causal AI, whereas on the other hand, 35% are exploring the possible implementation of digital twins and simulation tools.
Rounding up highlights would be a detail claiming that a larger chunk of investments are actually focused on creating long-term value rather than short-term gains. In essence, Rockwell discovered that leaders are prioritizing growth (66%), expanding capacity (62%) and protecting operations (50%).
Among other things, we ought to acknowledge that the given report studied responses of managers and executives from life sciences manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), system integrators, and engineering procurement companies (EPCs). In totality, it surveyed over 1,560 decision makers across various industries, conducting the whole operation in close association with Sapio Research.
Founded back in 1991, Rockwell Automation’s rise up the ranks stems from advancing the field of industrial automation, while simultaneously leading wider digital transformation efforts. The company’s stature, at the moment, can also be contextualized once you consider it employs more than 27,000 problem solvers, who serve customers in 100 different countries.
“With our extensive industry expertise and wide-ranging suite of automation and information solutions, Rockwell is uniquely positioned to support life sciences organizations across the globe,” said Weaver. “No matter where a company is on their path to digital transformation and smart manufacturing, we can meet them where they are to help them achieve sustainable growth.”
