New Schneider Electric research finds UK industry lags in autonomous operations despite strong push to accelerate adoption
Posted by: electime 23rd June 2026
Schneider Electric has revealed the UK findings of its Global Autonomous Maturity Report, which draws on 400 senior energy and chemical industry leaders across 12 countries and four regions. The findings reveal that British organisations recognise the strategic importance of autonomous operations, but many remain at an early stage of deployment.
Just 8% of UK organisations surveyed describe themselves as fully autonomous today – the lowest level recorded. Yet momentum is building rapidly: more than three-quarters (76%) of UK leaders now identify autonomous operations as a strategic priority, with over a third (36%) aiming to reach full autonomy within five years.
For hard-to-abate industries facing growing pressure to improve productivity, manage costs and meet ambitious decarbonisation targets, autonomous operations are becoming a critical enabler of industrial transformation.
AI-driven autonomous operations accelerate decarbonisation in ways that traditional investment cycles cannot match – cutting unplanned downtime, improving energy efficiency across entire sites and compressing the timeline from ambition to action. Every year of delayed adoption locks in avoidable cost and emissions.
Alex Richards, Vice President, Industrial and Process Automation, Schneider Electric UK and Ireland, commented:
“UK industry is facing a defining moment. Autonomous operations are now a practical route to improving performance across cost, resilience and sustainability. At the heart of this is intelligence – turning operational data into real-time decisions that improve how industrial systems perform every day.
“While the UK currently trails many of its global peers in autonomous maturity, there is clear momentum behind adoption. The priority now is to scale deployment. Organisations that act decisively will strengthen competitiveness while building more resilient, lower-carbon industrial operations for the future.”
Productivity, Profitability and Sustainability are Mutually Reinforcing
The report establishes a growing convergence between commercial and sustainability objectives across UK industry. Almost half (48%) of UK respondents identify reducing costs and improving profitability as a primary motivation for adopting autonomous technologies, making it the leading driver for investment. At the same time, nearly one-third (32%) cite improved environmental performance and reduced emissions as a key benefit.
This alignment reflects a broader shift in industrial strategy. Increasingly, business leaders are recognising that productivity, profitability and sustainability are mutually reinforcing objectives. By combining electrification, automation and digitalisation, organisations can improve operational performance while simultaneously reducing their environmental footprint.
The consequences of inaction are also becoming clearer. More than half (52%) of UK leaders believe failing to adopt autonomous technologies would result in significantly higher operating costs, while an equal proportion expect skills shortages to worsen. Nearly half (48%) also cite increased safety risks.
For UK industry, the shift is clear: performance and sustainability are increasingly delivered through the same technologies, with electrification, automation and digitalisation driving both.
The UK in Focus
Despite growing momentum, UK organisations face structural barriers to scaling autonomous adoption.
The most cited barrier is resistance to change within organisations (40%), followed by a lack of understanding of the benefits of autonomous technologies (32%). Other key challenges include competing investment priorities (28%), lack of forward-thinking leadership (28%) and cybersecurity concerns (24%).
Organisational readiness remains the defining factor in achieving autonomous maturity, despite continued advances in technology.
From Research to Real-World Deployment
Autonomous operations are already moving from concept to deployment. In June, Schneider Electric announced a first-of-its-kind deployment with Bilfinger, using EcoStruxure Automation Expert (EAE) as part of the control system for an unmanned floating offshore installation. The project removes the need for permanent human presence in one of the energy sector’s most hazardous operating environments while improving operational efficiency and resilience.
Such projects demonstrate how autonomous technologies are moving beyond concept and pilot stages to deliver measurable outcomes in safety, performance and sustainability.
As the global race to decarbonise industry accelerates, the research suggests UK organisations have an opportunity to close the autonomy gap and strengthen their position in an increasingly competitive industrial landscape.
Methodology
The Global Autonomous Maturity Report was commissioned by Schneider Electric in partnership with Censuswide and Development Economics, supported by insights from independent energy market analyst Gaurav Sharma. The study surveyed 400 senior energy and industrial executives across 12 countries in North America, Europe, Asia and the GCC, supplemented by desk research and stakeholder interviews across the global energy and chemicals sector.
