AER Automation, the Spanish Association of Robotics and Automation, recently released its first Trends Report on Robotics and Automation, a sector study that captures the perceptions and experiences of professionals and member companies to offer a real snapshot of the current state of industrial automation in Spain and the challenges that will shape its evolution in the coming years.
The report, developed within AER Automation’s Marketing Working Group (GTMK), analyzes the technological maturity of Spain’s industrial fabric, the main barriers to advancing digital transformation, and the technologies that will concentrate the greatest impact in the near future.
AI, a challenge and an opportunity
Among the main findings, artificial intelligence stands out as the technology with the greatest transformative potential for industry, although its large-scale adoption is still conditioned by the availability and quality of industrial data. The study also concludes that most industrial organizations are in a mid-maturity phase: this is the conclusion of 64.9% of respondents.
In this middle segment would be the companies that have begun digitization and automation processes but have not yet achieved cross-cutting system integration that enables them to capture their full value. As a positive note, only 2.7% consider that the automation and robotics sector in Spain is in an initial phase.
IT-OT integration and lack of talent, major barriers
One of the report’s most relevant findings is that IT-OT integration remains one of the main bottlenecks for industry. The disconnect between enterprise management systems and plant floor systems limits data leverage and hinders the deployment of advanced technologies such as predictive analytics, digital twins, or industrial artificial intelligence.
To this reality adds the scarcity of specialized talent. In fact, 78.4% of professionals surveyed consider that the lack of qualified tech profiles constitutes a critical barrier to accelerating industrial transformation. This percentage sums those who consider that talent shortage has some influence (56.8%) and those who believe it is a critical factor (21.6%).
Industrial cybersecurity takes center stage
The report also reflects growing concern about industrial cybersecurity. Companies are increasingly aware of the need to protect their OT environments against rising threats and in light of new European regulatory requirements such as the NIS2 directive.
However, the study detects a gap between stated concern and the effective implementation of protective measures, positioning cybersecurity as one of the priority investment areas for the coming years.
Broad growth potential in industrial SMEs
The document concludes that Spanish industry already has mature technologies and proven success cases to advance automation and digitization. However, it warns that cautious investment, technical complexity, and talent scarcity can widen the competitive gap against other regions with faster technology adoption.
The report also identifies significant opportunities for Spain’s industrial fabric, especially in the SME sector, where there is broad room for the adoption of automation, robotics, AI, and operational digitization solutions. It is worth noting that in Spain, 99% of companies are SMEs. Moreover, in the industrial sector specifically, 51% of companies have fewer than 10 employees.
