Digital & AI Adoption in Process Manufacturing 2026

A 112-page report on how process manufacturers (chemicals, metals, pulp & paper, …) are adopting digital tools across their operations with a focus on AI adoption.

Questions answered

• What are the top priorities and challenges for process manufacturers in their digital transformation journey?
• At what stage are process manufacturers in adopting key technologies and use cases?
• Where is software predominantly deployed (on-premises vs. cloud), and which applications are migrating to the public cloud?
• What are the main challenges in migrating to cloud-based manufacturing software?
• To what extent do process manufacturers expect AI to impact their core applications over the next 3–5 years?
• Which use cases are expected to have the biggest impact and how large are the expected cost savings?
• How frequently is AI used in R&D, and what are the key barriers to adoption?
• What are the biggest workforce challenges, and which AI tools are expected to address them?

Companies mentioned

• Apollo Tyres
• BASF
• Borouge
• Dow Chemicals
• Forza Steel
• Georgia-Pacific
• Honeywell
• Norsk Hydro
• Yokogawa

About the report

Process manufacturing organizations face increasing pressure from energy price volatility, carbon costs associated with the energy transition, and shrinking skilled labor pools. While these industries have historically trailed discrete manufacturing in digital adoption, the data-driven era of Industry 4.0 is driving a shift toward customized production at scale and flexibility.

The Digital & AI adoption in Process Manufacturing 2026 report provides a structured analysis of how process manufacturers are integrating digital tools and AI across their operations. Based on a survey of a large group of senior stakeholders across several industries and major world regions, the research outlines current technology priorities, deployment stages, and ROI expectations for the coming years.

Report at a glance

• Adoption report: Details the adoption of digital tools across process manufacturing operations with a focus on AI.
• Stakeholder insights: Comprises data from senior decision-makers, including CxOs and directors, at organizations with more than 1,000 employees.
• Industry breadth: Analyzes several process manufacturing sub-sectors, including general chemicals, pulp and paper, petrochemicals, rubber and plastics, basic metals, fertilizers, and non-metallic minerals.
• Technology and use case tracking: Examines the deployment status of various technologies and operational use cases.
• ROI models: Details expected average cost reductions from digital initiatives by 2028.

Key areas of analysis

• Transformation priorities: Identifies revenue growth and operational efficiency as the primary drivers, with a vast majority of surveyed manufacturers rating each as a top or significant priority.
• Technology adoption landscape: Outlines the widespread deployment of smart sensors and process automation, concurrently identifying AI optimization and AI-driven R&D optimization as leading exploration areas.
• Software and cloud migration: Details that foundational applications such as SCM and process control have reached near-universal adoption. Concurrently, it indicates that migration to the public cloud remains slow due to high costs cited by most respondents.
• AI impact expectations: Examines where AI is expected to have the strongest impact, with predictive quality analytics and energy management ranking at the top.
• AI in R&D deep dive: Details how a portion of manufacturers utilize AI tools in research to address manual data processing challenges that affect a majority of organizations.
• Frontline workforce solutions: Analyzes pressing workforce gaps, such as remote support and real-time troubleshooting, and evaluates the role of generative AI in addressing these challenges.
• Case studies in transformation: Features detailed implementations from BASF, Forza Steel, Apollo Tyres, Borouge, and Georgia-Pacific.