Nine in 10 life sciences manufacturers now regard digital transformation as necessary to their business, but the industry’s push towards AI is exposing gaps in the data and cybersecurity foundations needed to support it, according to new research.
Some 90% of life sciences manufacturers say digital transformation is necessary, while 58% have deployed smart manufacturing technologies either at scale or across parts of their operations, according to research from Rockwell Automation.
The findings suggest that manufacturers are moving towards a model in which connected data, automation and artificial intelligence are embedded in day-to-day operations rather than deployed as discrete technology projects.
AI and machine learning were identified by 46% of respondents as the technologies expected to deliver the biggest business outcomes, followed by process automation at 44% and cybersecurity at 39%.
The priorities behind those investments are focused on operational outcomes. Improving quality was cited by 43% of respondents, while 36% identified digitising operations and 35% reducing risk as key objectives.
However, the research points to a gap between manufacturers’ ambitions for AI and the data infrastructure available to support it.
Among manufacturers already using AI, 64% expect to expand its use over the next year, while 49% anticipate increasing investment over the next five years. Yet only 32% of respondents said they effectively use more than half of the data they collect.
The gap could become more significant as manufacturers move AI beyond experimentation and into production processes, where data quality, accessibility and governance can affect the reliability and validation of applications.
The research was based on responses from 104 managers and executives working for life sciences manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, system integrators and engineering procurement companies across 16 countries. It forms part of Rockwell Automation’s 11th annual ‘State of Smart Manufacturing‘ report, which surveyed 1,560 decision-makers across multiple industries.
Researchers found that cybersecurity is another growing concern as manufacturers connect more equipment and systems. More than half, 54%, of the life sciences organisations surveyed said they had experienced at least one cyberattack in the previous year.
The largest areas of exposure were IT systems and enterprise networks, cited by 41% of respondents, followed by remote access and connected equipment at 33%, and IT/OT integration points at 29%.
The findings also point to a change in how manufacturers approach regulatory compliance. Rather than preparing for inspections or regulatory changes through periodic projects, companies are increasingly looking to maintain the data, controls and evidence required for compliance as part of normal operations.
“Manufacturers used to treat regulatory readiness as a project – something they ramped up for,” said Matt Weaver, Vice President, Global Industry – Life Sciences at Rockwell Automation. “Now, it has to be a daily discipline built into how the facility runs.”
Rockwell’s report recommends that manufacturers focus on areas including evidence management, cyber resilience, industrial data operations, defined AI use cases and AI governance.
AI applications are already being targeted at areas such as quality control, cybersecurity and process optimisation. Over the next 12 months, 50% of respondents expect to use AI and machine learning to improve quality control, while 45% expect to apply them to cybersecurity and 44% to process optimisation.
