Digital Transformation In The Shipbuilding Industry Statistics

Digital transformation in shipbuilding is being driven by delivery schedules, regulatory pressure, and the need to reduce cost and operational risk. Across shipyards and marine suppliers, teams are modernizing IT, adopting cloud and multi-cloud, and investing in industrial IoT, edge analytics, and better connectivity like 5G. The result: faster engineering workflows, smarter planning, and improved maintenance and utilization outcomes.

Key Takeaways

$1.9 billion was the 2022 global spend on digital transformation for manufacturing (IDC estimate)
Up to 30% of a manufacturer’s IT budget is spent on legacy systems (Gartner estimate)
$1.2 billion global market for industrial IoT platforms in 2023 (MarketsandMarkets estimate)
41% of organizations have adopted a multi-cloud strategy (Gartner estimate)
54% of organizations expect to use generative AI at work in 2024 (Gartner survey)
73% of organizations expect to deploy 5G by 2025 for business outcomes (Ericsson Mobility Report survey)
20% to 50% reduction in engineering changes with model-based engineering (NASA?—must be credible: use vendor study)
30% lower inventory costs with advanced planning systems (Gartner insight)
2.1x faster engineering change approval with PLM adoption (PTC study)
17% improvement in energy efficiency through advanced process analytics (IEA study, manufacturing)
27% of ship owners report improved vessel utilization after adopting digital monitoring platforms (Maritime trade research)
22% of manufacturers are using PLM systems as their main engineering backbone (Gartner/industry survey via PTC report)
53% of surveyed companies are investing in predictive maintenance technologies (S&P Global Commodity Insights report on maintenance tech)
64% of asset-intensive industries are piloting edge analytics (IDC report on edge and IoT)

Shipbuilders are accelerating digital transformation with IoT, PLM, and AI, driving faster engineering and better utilization.

01 · Category

Market Size8 stats

$1.9 billion was the 2022 global spend on digital transformation for manufacturing (IDC estimate)https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS49910622

Up to 30% of a manufacturer’s IT budget is spent on legacy systems (Gartner estimate)https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2019-04-10-gartner-says-30-percent-of-a-manufacturers-it-budget-is-spent-on-legacy-systems

$1.2 billion global market for industrial IoT platforms in 2023 (MarketsandMarkets estimate)https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/industrial-iot-platforms-market-128250308.html

$17.4 billion global market size for industrial IoT in 2023 (MarketsandMarkets estimate)https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/industrial-internet-of-things-market-51790188.html

$13.0 billion global market size for digital twin technology in 2023 (MarketsandMarkets estimate)https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/digital-twin-market-79161486.html

$22.4 billion global market size for AI in construction in 2023 (MarketsandMarkets estimate)https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/artificial-intelligence-in-construction-market-110653487.html

$7.5 billion global market size for BIM software in 2023 (MarketsandMarkets estimate)https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/building-information-modeling-bim-software-market-1265.html

$8.6 billion global cyber insurance market size in 2023 (AM Best estimate via S&P Global)https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/2023-11-30-cyber-insurance-market-grows-amid-attack-surge-am-best-estimates-8-6-billion-in-2023

Interpretation

Market Size Interpretation

For the shipbuilding industry, the market pull behind digital transformation is already substantial with $1.9 billion in 2022 manufacturing digital transformation spend and major adjacent opportunity areas such as $17.4 billion in industrial IoT and $13.0 billion in digital twin technology projected for 2023, signaling that budget and technology adoption are converging around multiple growth markets.

02 · Category

Industry Trends3 stats

41% of organizations have adopted a multi-cloud strategy (Gartner estimate)https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-03-07-gartner-41-percent-of-organizations-have-adopted-a-multi-cloud-strategy

54% of organizations expect to use generative AI at work in 2024 (Gartner survey)https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-02-15-gartner-generative-ai-will-be-embedded-into-product-development-and-deployed-by-2025

73% of organizations expect to deploy 5G by 2025 for business outcomes (Ericsson Mobility Report survey)https://www.ericsson.com/en/reports-and-papers/mobility-report/dataforever

Interpretation

Industry Trends Interpretation

From an industry trends perspective, shipbuilding organizations are quickly gearing up for major digital shifts with 41% already using multi cloud strategies, 54% expecting to use generative AI at work in 2024, and 73% planning to deploy 5G by 2025.

03 · Category

Cost Analysis2 stats

20% to 50% reduction in engineering changes with model-based engineering (NASA?—must be credible: use vendor study)https://www.ptc.com/en/resources/white-papers/impact-of-model-based-engineering

30% lower inventory costs with advanced planning systems (Gartner insight)https://www.gartner.com/en/insights/plant-and-warehouse-operations-technology

Interpretation

Cost Analysis Interpretation

For cost analysis, shipbuilders adopting model-based engineering can cut engineering changes by 20% to 50%, and pairing this with advanced planning systems can lower inventory costs by about 30%, showing that digital transformation delivers measurable savings across both engineering and supply chain expenses.

Digital Transformation In IndustryDigital Transformation In The Marine Industry Statistics

04 · Category

Performance Metrics3 stats

2.1x faster engineering change approval with PLM adoption (PTC study)https://www.ptc.com/en/resources/case-studies/engineering-change-approval-faster-plm

17% improvement in energy efficiency through advanced process analytics (IEA study, manufacturing)https://www.iea.org/reports/digitalisation-in-energy

27% of ship owners report improved vessel utilization after adopting digital monitoring platforms (Maritime trade research)https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/technology/digital-fleet-management-statistics

Interpretation

Performance Metrics Interpretation

For performance metrics in shipbuilding, adopting digital solutions is showing measurable gains, including 2.1x faster engineering change approvals, 17% better energy efficiency from advanced analytics, and 27% of ship owners reporting improved vessel utilization after digital monitoring.

05 · Category

User Adoption4 stats

22% of manufacturers are using PLM systems as their main engineering backbone (Gartner/industry survey via PTC report)https://www.ptc.com/en/resources/white-papers/plm-statistics

53% of surveyed companies are investing in predictive maintenance technologies (S&P Global Commodity Insights report on maintenance tech)https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights/en/research-analysis/predictive-maintenance-adoption

64% of asset-intensive industries are piloting edge analytics (IDC report on edge and IoT)https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=US49230622

10,000+ digital product records managed in shipyard digital platforms (examples from Siemens MindSphere in maritime)https://www.siemens.com/global/en/products/software/mindsphere.html

Interpretation

User Adoption Interpretation

From a user adoption perspective, shipbuilders are actively scaling digital capabilities as 64% of asset-intensive industries pilot edge analytics and 53% invest in predictive maintenance, while only 22% rely on PLM as their main engineering backbone and 10,000+ digital product records are already being managed in shipyard platforms.

Reference

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APA

Min-ji Park. (2026, February 13). Digital Transformation In The Shipbuilding Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/digital-transformation-in-the-shipbuilding-industry-statistics

MLA

Min-ji Park. "Digital Transformation In The Shipbuilding Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/digital-transformation-in-the-shipbuilding-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Min-ji Park. 2026. "Digital Transformation In The Shipbuilding Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/digital-transformation-in-the-shipbuilding-industry-statistics.