Smart Manufacturing & AI: Transforming Life Sciences Amidst Industry Challenges

Navigating the Future: How Life Sciences are Embracing Smart Manufacturing

Rockwell Automation, the globe's industrial automation and digital transformation leader, has unveiled the results of its 10th annual "State of Smart Manufacturing Report: Life Sciences Edition." The comprehensive global study polled 143 life sciences manufacturing industry influencers across 15 leading manufacturing nations and offered a single perspective on today's life sciences manufacturing environment and tomorrow's trend.

The Evolving Life Sciences Manufacturing Environment

Life sciences producers are quite literally at a crossroads. They're confronted with a multi-faceted array of challenges, from ever-increasingly speeding-up demand and increasing operating expenses to very advanced cybersecurity risks and confounding compliance obligations. All of this takes place in the backdrop of economic turmoil and persistent staff shortages. Consequently, many players in the industry are actively seeking out advanced technologies as a crucial lifeline, seeking to make their firms nimbler and more capable of adapting to the ever-sustained speed of change.

The Ubiquity of Smart Manufacturing and the Emergence of AI

It is clear that smart manufacturing is not a trend but rapidly becoming the norm. A remarkable 95% of life sciences manufacturers are currently utilizing, or seriously evaluating, smart technology. In this technological development, Artificial intelligence (AI) is the game-changer. Companies are strategically investing in AI to significantly improve product quality, boost system security, and provide vital assistance to employees, particularly where there is limited skilled talent. In addition, policymakers are thinking ahead beyond short-term benefits, strategically investing in technologies that will expand capacity and build more secure operations in the long term.

As Matt Weaver, vice president, Global Industry–Life Sciences, Rockwell Automation, aptly puts it, "Life sciences manufacturers are making a new journey of digital maturity, driven by increasing regulatory complexity and pressure to improve time-to-market without sacrificing quality." He emphasizes that "This year's report makes it crystal clear that AI is becoming indispensable to life sciences manufacturing modern—no longer just to maximize efficiency, but to strengthen product quality, secure critical infrastructure, and upskill workers. There's a strong shift toward long-term thinking as leaders double down on digital investments that make operations more connected, adaptive, and resilient."

Key Takeaways Shaping the Industry's Future

The study cites some convincing global results that provide a clear picture of the industry's direction:

• Smart manufacturing is unavoidably becoming global: A resounding 95% of life sciences manufacturers are already adopting or exploring smart technology.

• The favorite applications of AI are decidedly outlined: The majority of companies use AI to enhance quality (53%), optimize operations (50%), and strengthen cybersecurity defenses (48%).

• Workforce challenges persist: Entirely 26% of executives cite having access to qualified staff as the single biggest barrier to growth in 2025.

• Technology bridges talent gaps: Nearly half of life sciences manufacturers are embracing AI (48%) and automation (46%) to help and supplement their existing talent.

• Emerging technologies are gaining momentum: A key 36% of companies plan to make a bet on causal or generative AI, and 35% of them are actively researching digital twins and simulation software.

• Investments are long-term oriented: Leaders are thoughtfully investing in initiatives driving growth (66%), developing operating capability (62%), and protecting key operations (50%).

• Despite the universal collection of data, one of the biggest challenges will be: only 46% of the manufacturers are confident they are successfully using the enormous amounts of data they gather. As digital technology and tools further expand, making it easier to convert these insights into utilizable strategies will be totally imperative to harnessing smarter, swifter decision-making.

"With our extensive industry insights and diverse portfolio of automation and information solutions, Rockwell is well-positioned to help life sciences businesses around the globe," Weaver concludes. "Whether a business is at any point on its path to digital transformation and smart manufacturing, we can meet them there to help them continue to grow."

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