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Trends
Jaguar Land Rover forced production lines to be fully shut down, costing an estimated £ 50m every week.
With attacks in other sectors affecting companies like M & S and Asahi, large-scale cyber hacks are becoming increasingly common. This is a particular concern for manufacturers, given how many are in the process of digitalizing.
David says:“ The fact that many companies still use legacy operational technology( OT) for business-critical functions is a worry. This type of technology is crucial for operations but often lacks the security of newer systems. Businesses should be looking to invest in more advanced and secure OT and IT systems.”
Strategic AI adoption
AI adoption isn’ t necessarily new, with generative AI applied in some areas of most UK manufacturing facilities over the last couple of years. However, you can expect to see a more strategic approach to AI adoption in a manufacturing context for 2026.
Top decision-makers no longer see AI as an‘ experiment’. In fact, 82 percent view AI as a core driver of growth and are applying it everywhere, from predicting maintenance cycles on the factory floor to carrying out risk assessments of suppliers.
Integrated customer insights become more popular than ever
Customer requirements have become
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