Most Industrial Leaders Prioritise Digital Ecosystems But Few Share Data, Report Finds
Industrial software company AVEVA and global business school IMD have published the inaugural Industrial Intelligence Report, revealing a significant disconnect between how industrial organisations view digital ecosystems and how effectively they participate in them.
The report, launched at AVEVA World 2026 in Milan, draws on input from more than 275 senior leaders across 12 industry sectors worldwide. Its central finding is a structural paradox: while 74% of leaders rank digital ecosystems as a top strategic priority, only 27% report sharing data substantially or extensively with ecosystem partners.
The research defines industrial intelligence as the organisational capability that integrates operational technology, information technology, and artificial intelligence to enable connected, data-driven decision-making across entire industrial ecosystems. Case studies from the Port of Rotterdam and the Kwinana industrial area in Australia are among those used to illustrate where that capability is being realise, and where it is falling short.
AVEVA CEO Caspar Herzberg, who discussed the findings in a fireside conversation with IMD Professor Michael Wade at the Milan event, said the collaboration aims to move beyond diagnosis. “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 enable companies to transcend silos and build more adaptive, ecosystem-driven operating models,” he said.
The report finds that integration complexity, legacy systems, and weak governance are the primary barriers preventing organisations from closing the gap between digital ecosystem ambition and execution. Wade, Director of IMD’s Global Center for Digital and AI Transformation, said the findings point to a leadership and coordination challenge as much as a technology one.
“Governance, integration, and learning matter more right now than algorithms,” Wade said. “Industrial sectors have decades of experience collaborating out of operational necessity. What is changing is that data, AI, and connected platforms are turning those collaborations into real-time, intelligence-driven systems. The next phase is about converting that foundation into strategic advantage through better data sharing, clearer roles, and more deliberate leadership.”
The report is available through AVEVA and IMD’s respective platforms.
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