A new global study has revealed a widening gap between ambition and execution in the push towards industrial digital ecosystems, with most organisations prioritising collaboration but struggling to share data effectively.
According to the inaugural Industrial Intelligence Report on Digital Ecosystems and the Future of Connected Industries, launched by AVEVA in collaboration with the IMD Business School, 74 per cent of industry leaders consider digital ecosystems a top strategic priority. However, only 27 per cent report sharing data extensively with ecosystem partners.
The report, which draws on insights from more than 275 senior leaders across 12 industry sectors, highlights a persistent disconnect between strategic intent and real-world implementation.
It shows that while companies are increasingly building digital ecosystems to improve innovation, manage supply chain volatility, and accelerate decarbonisation efforts, many are held back by structural and operational challenges.
These include integration complexity, legacy systems, weak governance frameworks, and limited interoperability between internal and external platforms.
The study also points to a broader organisational challenge: the inability of firms to translate digital strategy into coordinated execution across partners in their value chains.
“Governance, integration and learning matter more right now than algorithms,” Director of the IMD Global Centre for Digital and AI Transformation and Professor of Strategy and Digital at IMD Michael Wade stated.
He noted that while industrial sectors have long histories of collaboration, digital technologies are now transforming these relationships into real-time, data-driven ecosystems.
AVEVA Chief Executive Officer Caspar Herzberg said the collaboration with IMD aims to move beyond understanding motivations and instead focus on building practical frameworks for implementation.
“With this collaboration… 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,” he said.
The report defines “industrial intelligence” as the capability to integrate operational technology, information technology, and artificial intelligence to support connected, data-driven decision-making across industrial ecosystems.
It adds that organisations are increasingly relying on digital ecosystems to address complex challenges such as supply chain disruption, innovation speed, and sustainability pressures. However, the report warns that without stronger data-sharing mechanisms and improved governance structures, many of these initiatives may fail to deliver their intended value.
Case studies referenced in the report, including operations at the Port of Rotterdam and industrial sites in Australia’s Kwinana region, illustrate both the potential and the limitations of current ecosystem models.
The findings suggest that while industrial digital transformation is accelerating globally, the ability to unlock value will depend less on technology adoption and more on how effectively organisations can collaborate, share data, and align operational standards across ecosystems.
