Parsec’s 2023 State of Manufacturing Survey: Europe

The State of Manufacturing Survey – Europe captures insights from more than 500 manufacturing professionals across the region, offering a clear benchmark of readiness in digitalization, labor, AI/ML adoption, MES utilization, and supply chain strength. While many European organizations report confidence in their digital transformation initiatives, a significant number still rely on manual data collection—revealing a disconnect between perceived progress and actual modernization.

Labor constraints continue to challenge the region, with respondents citing skill shortages, difficulty hiring specialized roles, and limited internal expertise in advanced technologies. These capability gaps directly impact readiness for AI/ML, with many organizations expressing interest but lacking the skills or infrastructure to adopt these tools effectively. MES maturity is similarly uneven: a substantial portion of respondents remain unfamiliar with MES, even though those who have adopted it report strong improvements in efficiency, cost control, and operational visibility.

These findings point to a major opportunity for European manufacturers to accelerate their digital transformation efforts. Platforms like TrakSYS help organizations unify data, reduce manual processes, strengthen supply chain resilience, and create a foundation for AI-enabled decision-making — all critical to staying competitive in a rapidly evolving market.