Sustainability a Top Objective for Smart Manufacturing in Europe, ISG Survey Finds

The majority of manufacturers in Europe are looking to smart manufacturing to deliver sustainability and cost savings, according to a survey from Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

The 2022 ISG Global Smart Manufacturing Pulse Survey found nearly three-quarters of respondents in Europe (71 percent) count sustainability as a top objective for adopting smart manufacturing technology. The same percentage of respondents cited cost savings as a leading motivator.

ISG will present the survey results at the ISG TechXchange: Smart Manufacturing event, October 13, at the Sofitel Munich Bayerpost.

"Our research indicates manufacturers in Europe are more focused on sustainability than their counterparts in North America," said Christian Decker, ISG partner, smart manufacturing lead, and host of the event. "While sustainability and cost savings are the top objectives in Europe, manufacturers in North America are looking to smart manufacturing to improve customer experience, time to market and revenue. Our research found fewer than half the percentage of respondents in Europe consider each of those three categories a top priority."

The strategies that have made sustainability more than a buzz word at the LEGO Group, the world's largest toy company, will be explored in an industry spotlight presentation by Jesper Touboel, LEGO vice president of operations.

Later, Gianmarco Brunetti, head of product transformation at Jaguar Land Rover, will share how setting up a data-positive operating model and leveraging digital threads to extract value from data has helped his organization deal with legacy architecture and siloed business units and align stakeholders.

In a separate industry spotlight presentation, Ireneus Tomczyk, group CIO and senior vice president of MAN Energy Solutions, will explore the three dimensions of change ? technology, people and organization ? and how they can be leveraged to drive successful transformations.

The ISG survey found manufacturers in Europe are most challenged by the changes required in adopting or expanding smart manufacturing, cited by 62 percent of European respondents, followed by IT/OT integration (43 percent), technical debt (29 percent) and scalability (24 percent).

"The top challenges for manufacturers in Europe are inextricably intertwined and span the core challenges of people, process and technology present in any major technology adoption," Decker said. "Despite these challenges, European manufacturers report significant progress, with more than twice as many European companies (43 percent) reporting they have achieved their objectives in smart manufacturing than companies in North America (22 percent)."

Leaders with Rentschler Biopharma, Kyndryl and Schneider Electric will also join the event to discuss their experiences in operating and implementing new decision-making business models; adopting Industry 4.0 to support strategic decarbonization and sustainability goals, and successful change management techniques.

The ISG TechXchange: Smart Manufacturing event is sponsored by Cognizant, Tech Mahindra, Kyndryl and Rosenberger OSI. The TBM Council is a media sponsor.

Additional information and registration are available on the event website.

About ISG
ISG (Information Services Group) (Nasdaq: III) is a leading global technology research and advisory firm. A trusted business partner to more than 800 clients, including more than 75 of the world's top 100 enterprises, ISG is committed to helping corporations, public sector organizations, and service and technology providers achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm specializes in digital transformation services, including automation, cloud and data analytics; sourcing advisory; managed governance and risk services; network carrier services; strategy and operations design; change management; market intelligence and technology research and analysis. Founded in 2006, and based in Stamford, Conn., ISG employs more than 1,300 digital-ready professionals operating in more than 20 countries?a global team known for its innovative thinking, market influence, deep industry and technology expertise, and world-class research and analytical capabilities based on the industry's most comprehensive marketplace data. For more information, visit www.isg-one.com.