Organizations are investing heavily in AI and new technology, but skills shortages—not funding—are now the biggest obstacle to digital maturity

Everett, Washington, May 07, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fluke Corporation today released survey findings revealing a significant acceleration in digital maturity across manufacturing, propelled by a YoY increase in predictive maintenance adoption. Rising investment in Generative AI (36 percent) and Industrial AI (35 percent) underscores this transition, as organizations move beyond pilot programs toward production-scale impact.

The research, conducted by Censuswide, surveyed over 600 senior decision-makers and maintenance professionals in the U.S., the UK, and Germany. The findings show that within one-year, reactive maintenance remained flat at 36 percent. Proactive maintenance fell from 55 percent to 45 percent while predictive maintenance adoption doubled from 9 percent 18 percent, signalling a shift from traditional preventive models to data-driven execution.

The findings indicate this transition is being reinforced by increased capital allocation. Over the next 12 months, manufacturers are prioritizing technologies that deliver measurable operational impact quickly. The data shows a clear shift toward pragmatic investment: nearly eight in ten (72 percent) organizations now allocate 16–30% of their maintenance budgets to new technologies, with investment moving away from exploratory AI (44 percent in 2024) toward operational priorities including cybersecurity (37 percent), data management (36 percent), Generative AI (36 percent), and Industrial AI (35 percent).

However, the data shows a growing disconnect between technology adoption and workforce readiness. The results point to a deeper issue, with skills-related challenges accounting for approximately 78 percent of all reported obstacles, including lack of expertise (23 percent), knowledge shortages (18 percent), skilled labor gaps (19 percent), and broader workforce skills shortages (17 percent).

As manufacturers move from experimentation to execution, respondents show that expectations around Industry 5.0 are resetting accordingly. Confidence in near-term achievement has declined: the share expecting completion within six months fell from 33 percent to 22 percent, while 40 percent now anticipate a one- to four-year timeline.

Instead, the data suggests manufacturers are concentrating on what is achievable now. Nearly half of respondents (49 percent) plan to advance connected reliability initiatives within the next 12 months; signalling reliability as the practical bridge between near-term operational needs and longer-term Industry 5.0 ambitions.

 Parker Burke, President of Fluke Corporation, said: “Manufacturers are continuing to invest in digital technologies, but progress depends on how effectively those technologies are applied. Our findings show that reliability and workforce skills are now the critical factors in converting technology spend into measurable operational improvement. We need a solution to the skills shortage to supplement technology investment for the best results.”

Vineet Thuvara, Chief Product Officer, Fluke Corporation, added: “The progress is encouraging, but it’s not enough yet. Predictive maintenance is no longer a future ambition: it is the baseline. Manufacturer’s next challenge is scaling adoption and integrating it across the organization, ensuring these capabilities work in harmony across the organization, not in isolation.”

The survey, conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Fluke, surveyed 600 respondents representing manufacturing firms across the Food & Beverage, Oil & Gas, Life Sciences, and Automotive industries operating in Germany, the UK, and the US.

About Fluke
Founded in 1948, Fluke Corporation is the world leader in compact, professional electronic test tools and software for measuring and condition monitoring. Fluke customers are technicians, engineers, electricians, maintenance managers, and metrologists who install, troubleshoot, and maintain industrial, electrical, and electronic equipment and calibration processes. FLUKE is a registered trademark of Fluke Corporation. For more information, visit the Fluke website.

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FLUKE is a registered trademark of Fluke Corporation. For more information, visit the Fluke website. 

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