1,155 companies, 26 countries, six industries – for its Global Digital Operations Study 2018: Digital Champions presented on April 10, the strategy team of the business consulting firm PwC surveyed worldwide decision-makers from the manufacturing industry. The result is informative. When it comes to implementing new technologies, the maturity of digital ecosystems, and digital culture, 19% of companies surveyed in the Asia-Pacific region are Digital Champions. The automotive industry (20%) and the electronics industry (14%) account for the largest share of digital pioneers worldwide.

The APAC region is the digital class leader in the industrial sector, followed by America with 11% and the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) with 5% Digital Champions. With a share of just 1%, Germany is far behind the global average of around 10%. In the implementation of artificial intelligence as well, the APAC region is leading with 15%, followed by America with 12%, and EMEA with 5%. Germany , with an implementation rate of 7%, is slightly below the global average of 9%.