UK manufacturers lead Europe in adopting AI and digital twins
3 June 2025 
UK manufacturers are leading Europe in their adoption of AI (artificial intelligence) and digital twins, according to a new global survey conducted by Rockwell Automation. The company’s annual State of Smart Manufacturing Report reveals that 53% of UK manufacturers are already implementing machine learning or AI (compared to the European average of 47%), and 94% are either using or planning to implement generative AI. Digital twin adoption in the UK has jumped from 21% to 37% in just 12 months, with 35% more planning to adopt digital twins in the next 12 months – the highest rate in Europe.
The survey of more than 1,500 manufacturing leaders in 17 countries – 13% of them located in the UK – also reveals that:
- 81% of UK manufacturers rate AI/ML as very or extremely important to their future, making it a strategic imperative.
- 56% of UK manufacturers have already invested in GenAI or causal AI tools (up from 41% last year), with a further 42% planning to do so.
- 15% of UK firms say that generative AI delivered the highest ROI of any technology in the past year. Rather than using AI to replace workers, UK manufacturers are using it to enhance their roles and address labour shortages, with 81% seeing AI as a key to recruitment.
- 45% of UK firms say they are adopting automation to ease labour shortages (up from 35% last year) and 40% are turning to AI/ML tools to augment existing roles (up from 31%). A further 39% are using technology to design more engaging jobs that attract and retain top talent.
- 38% percent of UK manufacturers are planning to upskill their existing workforce – up from 30% last year, and well ahead of the European average.
- 97% of UK firms are already investing or planning to invest in cybersecurity platforms, with 21% citing it as their top ROI driver, and 32% seeing cyberattacks as their top external threat – up from 28% last year.
- labour shortages are easing, with 19% of manufacturers citing it as a top issue, down from 23% in 2024.
- 89% of UK manufacturers now have formal ESG (environmental, social and governance) policies, with 56% citing efficiency as being the main driver, ahead of compliance with regulations (cited by 43%). Almost a third (32%) are using AI/ML to track ESG.
Rockwell says that in a single year, GenAI has gone from a curiosity to a priority in the UK, and is being deployed rapidly in applications such as writing code, generating documentation and training content, compliance reporting, cybersecurity and customer communications.
Quality control is the most common use for AI/ML, cited by 50% of manufacturers (up from 38% last year). This is in line with the global trend, but slightly ahead of the European average (48%) and well behind the Middle East (68%).
The finding that 86% of UK manufacturers are already using digital twins or are planning to do so in the coming year, “marks a significant shift in industrial strategy,” according to Rockwell. “Manufacturers are increasingly turning to digital twins to simulate operations before physical execution,” it adds, “helping to reduce waste, improve profitability, and speed up commissioning.”
But the UK still trails behind Europe in its use of digital twins, and they are not yet perceived as being high-impact technologies by most UK manufacturers. When asked which tools had delivered the biggest business value over the past year, only 3% of UK respondents cited digital twins or simulation – down from 7% in 2024. This reflects a lag between adoption and realised returns, Rockwell suggests. It argues, however, that digital twins are becoming an essential layer in the UK’s smart manufacturing stack.
Just over half (51%) of UK manufacturers report that they use more than half of the data they collect, while 13% admit to using less than a quarter of it, highlighting a gap in digital readiness. As larger firms continue to take the lead, smaller manufacturers are catching up by appointing data stewards and upgrading their infrastructures. Data management is emerging not just as a support function, but as a critical enabler for return on digital investment, Rockwell says.
UK manufacturers are building a resilient and competitive foundation for the future, the report concludes. “While challenges remain, particularly around data usage and ROI perception in emerging technologies, the direction is clear. UK industry is not simply catching up with digital transformation. It is actively defining what the next generation of smart manufacturing looks like.”
“AI is no longer just an emerging trend for UK manufacturers, it has become the driving force behind their transformation,” comments Rockwell Automation’s UK MD, Phil Hadfield. “By combining a human-centric workforce strategy with deliberate digital investment, UK firms are not only embracing innovation but also achieving tangible performance improvements that position them as leaders in the global manufacturing landscape.”
