According to a survey by Rockwell Automation, while domestic manufacturing companies showed a high level of consensus on the necessity of digital transformation and AI, actual investment and adoption levels remained lower than the global average.

On the 20th, Rockwell Automation released the "11th Smart Manufacturing Status Report," based on a survey of over 1,500 manufacturing companies in 17 countries, including Korea. This report analyzed the current status of smart manufacturing technology utilization by manufacturing companies, as well as AI adoption, data utilization, and cybersecurity response levels.

According to the report, 90% of global manufacturing companies responded that digital transformation is necessary to maintain competitiveness. Korean respondents stood at 95%, higher than the global average. 53% of domestic manufacturing companies cited AI and machine learning (AI/ML) as the most important smart manufacturing technology driving business performance.

However, differences were observed in the actual investment stage. The investment rate in AI and machine learning by domestic manufacturing companies was 28%, falling below the global average of 50%. The proportion of industrial technology investment in the operating budget was also 22.8% on a domestic average, lower than the global average of 27.6%.

Cost burden was identified as the most significant obstacle to AI adoption, accounting for 37%. This was followed by uncertainty regarding return on investment at 17%, company policies at 13%, and data security at 13%. The report analyzed that budget constraints and internal regulations are impacting the speed of AI adoption by domestic manufacturing companies.

The level of utilization of smart manufacturing technology also showed a difference from the global average. 59% of global manufacturing companies responded that they are utilizing smart manufacturing technology throughout their operations. In Korea, 43% responded that they are utilizing it partially or on a large scale, while 31% said they are actively considering investment.

Areas for improvement were also identified in terms of data utilization. While global manufacturing companies utilized 43% of their collected data for actual operational improvements, domestic companies remained at the 34% level. This suggests the need to strengthen capabilities to connect collected data to decision-making and productivity improvements.

Cybersecurity also emerged as a major issue. 41% of domestic manufacturing companies responded that they experienced at least one cyber attack in the past year. Major vulnerable areas cited included IT systems and enterprise networks, employee awareness and training, and remote access and connectivity equipment.

Lee Yong-ha, CEO of Rockwell Automation Korea, stated that while the domestic manufacturing industry highly recognizes the importance of digital transformation and the adoption of AI, it is necessary to expand investment in AI and smart manufacturing technologies to maintain global competitiveness.