MLJ December 2025 – Research Survey Recap
Smart Factories, AI, Supply Chains and Data: MLC’s 2025 Surveys Research shows that operations leaders are resolved to continue scaling the digital maturity curve.
In 2025, the Manufacturing Leadership Council’s research efforts studied four areas that are formative to the current state of Manufacturing 4.0: Smart Factories and Digital Production; M4.0 Supply Chains, Artificial Intelligence, and Data Governance, Mastery, and Analytics.
In broad strokes, the surveys paint a picture of manufacturers moving up the digital maturity curve with strong expectations of continuing to advance. Operations leaders see the promise of digitalization, data and AI, but encounter roadblocks for access to capital investment, questions on the business case for technology deployment, and resistance from the workforce and sometimes the C-suite.
Here are the findings from MLC’s 2025 research surveys.
“M4.0 Appears Poised for a Significant Leap”, MLJ February 2025
MLC’s Smart Factories and Digital Production survey showed manufacturers are accelerating their digital transformation, with 60% calling it a defining shift and 75% rating their digital maturity as mid-level. Many companies expect to scale digitization rapidly by 2027—particularly in production, AI-driven operations and smart-factory integration. However, legacy equipment, lack of skilled workers and weak supplier/partner connectivity remain key hurdles.
“Tariff Tumult Roils Supply Chains”, MLJ April 2025 – A For MLC’s M4.0 Supply Chains survey, manufacturers said that the Trump administration’s shifting tariff policies created significant supply chain disruption, with 43% experiencing negative impacts at the time of the survey and rising costs cited as the most damaging effect. Nearly half say it is still too early to fully assess the long-term impact, but uncertainty and business strain are widespread. In response, companies are accelerating the use of digital tools—especially supply chain analytics—to improve visibility and resilience in the face of ongoing trade turbulence.
“Shaping the AI-Powered Factory of the Future”, May 2025 – The 2025 Future of Manufacturing Project survey found 68% of manufacturers believe AI will be foundational and most expecting increased investment and adoption over the next two years. While enthusiasm is high, AI use in operations is still limited, and many companies are only beginning to formalize governance and strategy. Significant barriers—including poor data quality, skill gaps, and legacy systems—remain, making steady, iterative progress the key to scaling AI successfully across the industry. Note that you must be logged into the MLC member portal or complete a contact form to access this survey.
“Manufacturers See Data, Lack Strategy”, October 2025 – MLC’s Data Governance, Mastery, and Analytics survey found that manufacturers increasingly recognize data as a critical asset for digital transformation, driving measurable improvements in cost reduction, efficiency, quality, and decision-making. However, many companies still face significant obstacles, including disparate systems, legacy equipment, limited AI-ready data, and insufficient governance, with nearly half lacking a corporate-wide data strategy. Despite these challenges, firms that effectively harness and validate their data are seeing tangible business benefits and are laying the groundwork for more strategic, data-driven operations. M
About the author:
Penelope Brown is the Senior Content Director, Manufacturing Leadership Council