The functional progression described above does not occur independently of technology choices. Movement from assisted to self-managing and from siloed to integrated ecosystems depends on how enabling technologies are introduced and sequenced. The technology impact profile that follows translates this progression into a capability view, showing how key technologies shape the timing and breadth of enterprise transformation. The chart in Figure 5 visualizes the assessed business impact of key technologies on industrial operations across time horizons based on function level assessments, informed by this study’s themes and evolution narratives: –Each technology was assessed across 13 operational functions and time horizons (NOW–NEAR–NEXT) using a consistent 1-5 impact scale ranging from early pilots to transformational change. –The chart normalizes results to highlight when impact is expected to scale up. –This chart does not represent a general market view of technology. Technology impact profile FIGURE 5 Interpretation of the graph 1. Coloured bars: These indicate the share of expected impact by horizon: NOW (0-2 years), NEAR (3-5 years), NEXT (5+ years). A larger segment means more of the technology’s impact is expected to materialize in that horizon. 2. Technology blocks (foundational, orchestrating, autonomous): The order of these blocks indicates the ramp-up of capability and readiness grouped into foundational, orchestrating and autonomous technologies; it highlights how foundational technologies enable more advanced capabilities over time and unlock longer-term impact. 3. Cross-functional slider: This represents the number of distinct operational functions (out of 13) for which a technology creates material relevance in at least one theme/use case for that function. NOW (0-2 years) NEAR (3-5 years) NEXT (5+ years)Autonomous Orchestrating Foundational0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Quantum сomputingPhysical AIAgentic AIDistributed ledger technologyData spaces & federated AIGenerative AIAR/VR & wearables (XR)Digital twinsRobotics and AMRs/AGVsPredictive & prescriptive AIEdge/IoTCross-functional applicability 0 –13Impact of technologies, along NOW-NEAR-NEXT timelines 131310 6 5 7 2 5 57 7 7 Intelligent Industrial Operations Outlook 2026 11