Global industrial software leader AVEVA and leading business school IMD Business School have unveiled the inaugural Industrial Intelligence Report on Digital Ecosystems and the Future of Connected Industries, offering fresh insight into how companies across the world are navigating digital transformation in increasingly complex operating environments.
Launched during AVEVA World 2026, the report draws on input from more than 275 senior leaders across 12 industries worldwide.
The study combines quantitative analysis with interviews and case studies from organizations including the Port of Rotterdam and Australia’s Kwinana industrial region, highlighting how businesses are building digital ecosystems to improve resilience, sustainability, and operational efficiency.
According to the findings, 74 percent of business leaders now consider digital ecosystems a top strategic priority.
However, only 27 percent say they share data substantially or extensively with ecosystem partners, exposing a significant disconnect between ambition and execution.
The report identifies several persistent barriers slowing progress, including legacy systems, integration complexity, and weak governance structures.
Despite growing investment in connected platforms and industrial AI, many organizations are still struggling to move from isolated digital initiatives to fully integrated, intelligence-driven ecosystems.
Speaking during a fireside discussion at the launch, Caspar Herzberg said the collaboration with IMD aims to go beyond understanding why companies are adopting digital ecosystems.
“With this collaboration with IMD, our ambition is not merely to understand the motivations behind the move to digital ecosystems, but to define the frameworks, competencies, and leadership practices that will concretely enable companies to transcend silos and build more adaptive, ecosystem-driven operating models,” Herzberg said.
The report notes that organizations are increasingly turning to digital ecosystems to tackle higher-order business challenges, including accelerating innovation, managing supply chain volatility, and decarbonizing complex global operations.
Michael Wade emphasized that leadership and governance now play a more decisive role than technology alone.
“Governance, integration, and learning matter more right now than algorithms. Ecosystems are already delivering operational value. The next phase is about converting that foundation into a strategic advantage through better data sharing, coordination, clearer roles, and more deliberate leadership,” Wade said.
He added that while industrial sectors have historically collaborated out of operational necessity, the emergence of AI, data-driven systems, and connected platforms is transforming those relationships into real-time, intelligence-powered ecosystems.
The report ultimately positions industrial intelligence as a critical driver of future competitiveness, arguing that organizations capable of building collaborative, connected ecosystems will be better placed to adapt to volatility and unlock long-term sustainable value.
Headquartered in Cambridge, UK, AVEVA develops industrial software and AI-powered solutions used by many of the world’s leading industrial enterprises.
Meanwhile, IMD Business School continues to expand its global influence in leadership and digital transformation research through campuses and hubs across Europe, Asia and Africa.
