As we close out 2025, the machine manufacturing industry finds itself cautiously optimistic yet battle-tested by recent turbulence. After several volatile years, confidence is improving, but significant headwinds remain. In boardrooms across the industry, leaders acknowledge that uncertainty like geopolitical tensions and tariff developments hasn’t vanished; instead, it’s the new normal that strategic planning must account for.
2026 is poised to be a pivotal year of transition. One marked not just by cautious management, but by bold moves to secure long-term advantage. Let’s have a closer look at what will shape the machine manufacturing industry in the near future.
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Manufacturing has entered the AI-powered era. Data, automation, and intelligent systems are now the core of competitiveness. 2026 marks the shift from experimentation to execution: 81% of industrial executives plan to increase AI investments in the next three years (pwc.com).
The vision is a Dynamic Machine Economy: an ecosystem of machines, data, and humans operating in concert. Prices instantly adjust to market signals, aftermarket services seamlessly integrate with production, real-time data fuels innovation, and data transparency fosters trust.
❗Why it matters:
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🎯Opportunity ahead:
The opportunity is clear: manufacturers that close these digital gaps will gain agility, resilience, and customer loyalty. Integrated systems, real-time intelligence, and AI-driven workflows will redefine the aftermarket in the Dynamic Machine Economy, enabling OEMs to predict customer needs, increase uptime, and deliver higher value at scale.
Tariffs have significantly impacted the global parts business, forcing manufacturers to adapt quickly to changing pricing models. As price competition intensifies in the aftermarket, Pricing Performance has become a strategic imperative for manufacturers. The days of static pricing models are gone. Manufacturers can no longer rely on annual price reviews and cost-plus pricing to maintain margins. Experience remains invaluable, but it must be amplified by intelligence. The leaders of 2026 treat Pricing Performance as a core capability: a continuous cycle of intelligence → decision → performance.
❗What’s changing:
➡️Actions for manufacturers:
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The aftermarket remains the largest untapped growth engine. Companies that master Pricing Performance will defend margins and expand market share. Unifying intelligence, decisions, and performance into one single source of truth will guide manufacturers toward effortless pricing, measurable growth, and lasting confidence.
Manufacturers’ push toward digitalization has a flipside: a greatly expanded attack surface for cyber threats. Recent high-profile incidents, like the cyberattack that halted production at Jaguar Land Rover in 2025, have highlighted the vulnerabilities in legacy operational technology (OT) systems. Every connected system is now a potential target. 2025 showed record-high attacks on manufacturing, accounting for over a quarter of all global incidents.
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The headwinds of rising threats are strong, but 2026 will see the industry doubling down on defenses to keep the smart factory revolution from being derailed by malicious actors. The companies that secure their digital infrastructure will earn trust from customers, partners, and regulators, ultimately turning protection into a competitive advantage.
If recent years taught machine manufacturers one thing, it’s this: supply chain resilience is survival. Companies can’t afford to depend on fragile, offshore supplier networks anymore.
“We have struggled with on-time delivery, so this is the most critical point we are trying to address. To make sure production can stay ahead and maintain an acceptable stock level to satisfy market demand.”- Statement from Global Parts & Service Report Survey 2025
There is a strong belief that we are on the verge of a new industrial revolution. The combination of pandemic-driven supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions, and advancements in automation has set in motion a long-term industrial reset. The ultimate focus is on ensuring prosperity and security by producing essential goods locally to align with industry resilience goals and reduce tariff dependency.
Source: PwC’s Future of Industrials Survey
❗What’s happening:
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Resilience is a customer promise. When uptime equals revenue, being the company that guarantees delivery and confidence become your strongest differentiator. Now is the time for machine manufacturers to rethink procurement and supply to strengthen their production resilience.
Talent remains the ultimate constraint. As older generations retire, the demand for workers with advanced technical skills continues to rise, particularly in fields related to AI, automation, and robotics. The manufacturing labor shortage could hit 4 million unfilled roles by 2030 if current trends hold on.
"We're predicting a 30% gap in skilled labour. This, according to Deloitte's report, could represent almost 4 million new positions that will need to be filled in the next ten years. Automation, for example, comes with its own complex skill sets. You need programmers, people that can do logic control, front end developers, back-end developers. So, the labour shortage impacts both the trades and the technical skill set." - says Michael Schlotterbeck, Principal, Industrial Products and Construction, Deloitte US
In 2026, expect to see manufacturers who proactively build a people strategy that blends technology adoption with human capital development gain a powerful competitive edge. Those who neglect the workforce dimension may find that fancy new technology sits underutilized, for lack of skilled operators and innovators.
❗What’s changing:
➡️Actions for manufacturers:
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Manufacturers that build AI-ready teams will bridge the skills gap, can offset higher local labor costs through automation and make human capital a lasting source of competitive advantage. In the dynamic machine economy, people are as critical an asset as machines and investing in their growth is non-negotiable.
As we head into 2026, machine manufacturing finds itself at an inflection point that demands bold, strategic action. Uncertainty will not disappear, but readiness is a choice.
2026 belongs to manufacturers that:
Ultimately, the message for machine manufacturers is one of urgent optimism. Yes, significant headwinds persist, whether it’s workforce gaps, geopolitical uncertainties, or the next supply chain wrinkle. But the tools to face them are more powerful than ever. The year 2026 will favor those organizations that reimagine themselves proactively in light of these trends.
Want to learn more about challenges and opportunities in the parts business of machine manufacturing in the year 2026 and how MARKT-PILOT can support you? Then download our CEO’s Blueprint for Success 2026 or schedule a call with our team.