Global survey of maintenance professionals reveals dramatic increase in interest in next-generation technologies since 2023
Aging workforce and recruiting experienced staff remain most pressing trends according to Ultimo Maintenance Trend Report
Almost half (49%) of industrial businesses lack internal expertise to adopt advanced tools like artificial intelligence (AI)
Emerging technologies like AI, machine learning (ML), and digital twins are rapidly transforming enterprise asset management (EAM), according to the latest Maintenance Trend Report from Ultimo. Yet, despite this technological leap, survey data emphasizes that effective asset maintenance remains, at its core, a human endeavor. The survey of 200+ maintenance professionals worldwide shows a dramatic increase in interest in next-generation technologies since the last Ultimo EAM Trend Report in 2023. When asked which innovations will have the most positive impact on their maintenance and business practices, respondents named contextual intelligence (68%), up from just 8% previously, automation and robotics (49%), and machine learning (41%). Interest in digital twins has more than doubled since the last survey, now at 40%.
Despite these gains, workforce challenges continue to dominate organizational concerns. The aging workforce was identified by 63% of respondents as the most pressing trend impacting maintenance strategy, highlighting the urgency of knowledge transfer and workforce planning. Half (50%) of respondents said recruiting experienced staff was the primary source of disruption over the past year.
"From global instability to changing regulations, socio-economic and political shifts are creating uncertainty across industries. In this environment, agility is critical," said Berend Booms, Head of EAM Insights at Ultimo, an IFS company. “EAM can also serve as a catalyst for innovation. Internet of Things (IoT), AI, ML, digital twins, and predictive analytics are rapidly transforming industrial businesses. They unlock smarter decision-making, greater efficiency, and a sharper competitive edge.”
While EAM has long been a staple of asset-heavy industries, its potential is now being unlocked thanks to real-time insights from data captured and analyzed by technologies like IoT and predictive modeling - the latter of which has tripled in perceived impact since the 2023 survey. Still, almost half (49%) of respondents cite a lack of internal expertise as a key barrier to adopting these advanced tools.
The future of maintenance may be enabled by AI, but it will still be guided by people. Modern EAM systems have evolved from static log repositories into engines of foresight. By leveraging AI and maintenance data, they deliver actionable insights that help teams shift from reactive fixes to proactive strategies. From spotting recurring failures to optimizing workflows, EAM now acts as a strategic advisor driving efficiency, preventing downtime, and maximizing the impact of every maintenance dollar.
Ultimo is helping clients to capitalize potential with AI-powered EAM features that require no in-house model training or heavy infrastructure investments. These tools are designed to lower the barrier to entry while delivering immediate operational gains.
As Ultimo’s Maintenance Trend Report makes clear, technology alone isn’t the solution. It’s the blend of human expertise and intelligent systems that will shape the future of maintenance success. The report features insights from research firm Verdantix, as well as industrial AI and digital twin Cloud platform company, TwinThread, safety and risk management company, ABS Consulting, and asset performance management company, MaxGrip. Download a copy here.
About the survey
The Ultimo Asset Maintenance Report is based on data from over 200 maintenance professionals surveyed in Spring 2025 across industries including manufacturing, healthcare, energy, utilities, telecommunications, transportation and logistics. The report captures insights from organizations of all sizes, from small to medium and global enterprises in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, UK, USA and Sweden.
About Ultimo
Ultimo, an IFS company, energizes the financial resilience, regulatory compliance and operational excellence for manufacturing, logistics and healthcare organizations through its innovative AI-augmented enterprise asset management (EAM) solutions. Focused on maintenance, uptime, safety, cost control, and efficiency, the Company is known for rapid deployment, ease of use and an unparalleled time to value. Ultimo supports over 120,000 technicians who manage more than 15 million assets for 2400+ customers worldwide. For further information see ultimo.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Do you have capital-intensive assets? Then an EAM system is an invaluable tool for optimizing their management. Ultimo is well represented in the manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, infrastructure and utility sectors. View our cases.
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With EAM software, companies can centralize their assets, making it easier to monitor, optimize, and proactively inspect and maintain them. This helps prevent unplanned downtime, suboptimal asset performance, and supply shortages.
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In the application we distinguish between three different types of users: Self-Service, Light and Full. A Self-Service user can view information that is made available to the user and submit reports. For users who don't use Ultimo very much, we have the Light user. In addition to the options, a Self-Service user has, a Light user has some extra options that fit with their role as an operator in the organization. Because maintenance is done together. Think of options for downtime registration, autonomous maintenance, shift handover, lockout tagout, work permits, requesting modifications and more. A Full user has access to all available EAM functionalities to properly execute their work. Of course, this includes all previously mentioned options. But also all preparatory, planning and executing activities, as well as inspection and analysing activities in the software.
