凯捷研究院工程与研发；D脉冲2026

Engineering

andR&Dpulse

2026Howareengineeringleadersnavigatingspeed,agility,and

costpressures

in

the

age

of

AI?RESEARCH

BRIEFCapgemini

Research

Institute

2025Capgemini

research

brief

2025Genderandleadership:Navigatingbias,opportunity,andchange

|203Who

should

read

thisreportand

why?04Executive

summary08Theurgencyforengineeringand

R&Dtransformation

isreal17Unlockingefficiency

andagility:Digitizationanddiversifiedoutsourcingtop

the

agenda23Emergingtechnologies

arecatalystsforengineeringandR&D

transformation29AI

is

shaping

the

futureof

engineering

and

R&D47Recommendations49Researchmethodology53AppendixTableof

contentsThisreportisprimarilyintendedfor

seniordecision-makersinengineeringandR&Dfunctions–includingchiefR&Dofficers,VPsandheadsofengineeringorproductdevelopment,chieftechnologyofficers(CTOs),andinnovationdirectors–who

arenavigatingtoday’schallengingbusinesslandscape.ItprovidesanoverviewofthestrategicevolutionofengineeringandR&Dfunctionsinresponsetorisingcostpressures,longertime-to-marketcycles,intensifyingglobaldisruptions–fromsupplychainshockstotalentshortages–andtheimpactoftechnology,especiallyAI.

The

report

is

also

relevant

to

chiefWhoshouldreadthis

report

and

why?financialofficers(CFOs)andchiefsupplychain

officers,

whose

decisions

regardingcapitalallocation,procurementstrategy,andsupplierecosystemsshapetheeffectivenessandagilityofengineeringfunctions.Informedbyinsightsfrom1,500

global

executives,

the

report

distillsthekeytrends,organizationalshifts,andtechnology

priorities

that

are

redefiningmarketcompetitionandstrategicdirection.Itoffersactionableguidancetohelpdecision-makersnavigatedisruptionandacceleratetransformationina

fast-changingenvironment.Who

shouldExecutiveUrgency

forLevers

forEmerging

tech

asAI

shapingRecommendationsResearchAppendixread

this

reportsummarytransformationefficiencytransformationengineering’smethodologyand

why?and

agilitycatalystsfutureResearch

brief

-

Capgemini

Research

Institute

2025EngineeringandR&Dpulse2026

|301Executive

summaryWhoshouldread

this

reportand

why?Executive

summaryUrgencyfortransformationResearch

brief

-

Capgemini

Research

Institute

2025EngineeringandR&Dpulse2026

|4Levers

forefficiencyand

agilityEmerging

tech

astransformationcatalystsAIshapingengineering’s

futureAppendixResearchmethodologyRecommendationsExecutive

summaryThe

urgency

for

engineering

and

R&Dtransformation

isrealEngineeringandR&Dleadersfromacrosssectorsincludingaerospace,toautomotive,energy,lifesciences,andbeyond,areurgentlyarticulatinganeedtotransform:44%believetheirorganizationsrisklosingsignificantmarketshareiftheycannotacceleratetheirinnovationprocesseswithinthenextfive

years.

Even

more

(48%)

say

they

need

to

bring

down

theircostssignificantlyinordertostaycompetitive.Executivesbelieve

costs

must

be

reduced,

on

average,

by

10%;

design

anddevelopment

time

by

9%;

and

production

ramp-up

time

by

8%over

the

next

two

to

three

years.Preparedness

gaps

in

the

face

of

macro

disruptions

compound

the

challengeWhile

addressing

these

realities,

engineering

leaders

must

also

contend

with

disruption

from

the

broaderbusiness

environment.

Some

factors

are

harder

to

mitigate

than

others.

Lessthan

one

third

of

executivesbelieve

their

organizations

are

prepared

to

address

geopolitical

uncertainty,

supply

chain

disruptions,

andtalent

shortages,

for

example.

This

lack

of

preparedness

makes

transformation

even

more

challenging.

Asorganizations

face

both

persistent

and

unpredictable

disruptions,

there

is

an

acute

need

for

the

agility

toadapt

quickly

and

remain

resilient.

(Interestingly,

while

AI

is

seen

asa

significant

influencing

macro-factor,most

believe

that

they

are

reasonably

prepared

to

seize

its

opportunities.)Core

engineering

metrics

are

heading

in

the

wrong

directionWhilespeed,agility,andcostreductionremaintopengineeringandR&Dprioritiesforsurveyedorganizations,ourdatasuggeststhatthesemetricsareslidingbackwards.Nearlyeightin10(78%)respondentssaycosts1haveincreasedoverthepastthreeyears,andoveraquarterofthesesaytheincreasewassignificant(morethan15%).Inaddition,nearlyhalf(48%)reportanincreaseindesignanddevelopment

timelines,

underscoring

the

need

for

a

new

approach.

These

trends

vary

from

sector

to

sector.Forexample,telecomorganizationsarenotablylesslikelytoreportcostandtime-to-marketincreases,suggesting

that

some

sectors

may

be

better

positioned

than

others

to

manage

these

pressures.Executives

point

to

arange

of

organizational

and

systemic

barriers

undermining

efficiency

and

agility.Theseincludesupplychainconstraints,talentshortages,resistancetochange,legacysystems,weakinnovation

cultures,

and

regulatory

or

compliance

challenges.Whoshouldread

this

reportand

why?Executive

summaryUrgencyfortransformationResearch

brief

-

Capgemini

Research

Institute

2025EngineeringandR&Dpulse2026

|5Levers

forefficiencyand

agilityEmerging

tech

astransformationcatalystsAIshapingengineering’s

futureAppendixResearchmethodologyRecommendationsExecutive

summaryUnlocking

efficiency

and

agility:

Digitization

anddiversified

outsourcing

top

the

agendaDigitization

and

outsourcing

are

the

top

strategies

to

improve

engineering

and

R&Defficiency,whiletechpartnershipsandinternalstreamliningaregainingtraction.Whileallformsofoutsourcingareincreasing,organizationsareaddingtotheirportfolioofmodelstoincludeperformance-basedoutsourcing,build-operate-transfer(BOT)arrangements,andrevenue-sharingpartnerships.Thissuggeststhatthey

are

seeking

a

stronger

focus

on

outcomes,

the

opportunity

to

share

risk,

and

theagility

to

respond

more

effectively

to

competition

and

disruption.Organizations

are

also

turning

to

digitization

to

boost

agility,

with

40%

alreadyfast-trackingimplementationofdigitalscenarioplanningtoolsandanother36%implementing

them.

Alongside

this,

many

are

rolling

out

flexible

operational

systemsandrethinkingsupplychainsandproductdesigntoenhanceagility.Theseeffortsreflect

a

broader

shift

toward

more

resilient,

responsive

engineering

operations.Emerging

technologies

are

catalysts

for

engineeringreinventionMorethansixin10(63%)executivesseeemergingtechnologiesanddigitalinnovationasenablersofchange,withAI,digitaltwins,andnext-generationmaterialsrankingasthemosttransformativetechnologiesforengineeringoverthe

next

two

to

three

years.

While

the

global

average

stands

at

63%,

prioritizationvaries

across

geographies:

organizations

in

China

lead,

with81%

prioritizing

digitalinnovation

in

engineering

and

R&D,

followed

by

the

US

at

73%,

while

Europe

trailswith

60%.Whoshouldread

this

reportand

why?Executive

summaryUrgencyfortransformationResearch

brief

-

Capgemini

Research

Institute

2025EngineeringandR&Dpulse2026

|6Levers

forefficiencyand

agilityEmerging

tech

astransformationcatalystsAIshapingengineering’s

futureAppendixResearchmethodologyRecommendationsExecutive

summaryAI

is

shaping

the

future

of

engineering

and

R&DRecommendationsInthenexttwotothreeyears,AI’simpactonengineeringandR&Dissettointensify.Over75%ofexecutivesexpectanenhancementof20–50%inoutcomesincludingspeedtoconcept,timetomarket,productivity,productvalue,andcostreduction.ExecutivesanticipatethemostsignificantAIimpactinmaintenanceandsupport,documentationandcompliancemanagement,andresearchandconceptdevelopment.

More

than

eight

in

10

(84%)

organizations

plan

to

increase

investmentinAIforengineeringandR&Doverthenexttwotothreeyears.ChinaandJapanshowthestrongestmomentum,with92%oforganizationsplanningtoincreaseAIinvestmentinengineeringandR&D,whiletheNetherlandsandtheNordicsshowthe

least

momentum,

at

62%.Toacceleratetransformation,organizationsmustredesignengineeringstrategiestofocus

internal

talent

on

high-impact

work,

while

tapping

into

partner

ecosystems,

AI,andglobal

capabilities:In

the

age

of

AI,

engineering

talent

remains

criticalHowever,

even

as

AI

adoption

is

set

to

grow,

executives

continue

to

value

traditionalengineeringskillsandhumaningenuity.Only15%believethatAIcanreplacetheproblem-solving

and

creativity

of

human

engineers

and

designers.Apply

multiple

AI

modalities

through

a

structured

deployment

approach

tounlock

value

at

scaleTransform

engineering

for

flexibility

to

balance

cost,

speed

and

agility

demandsBroaden

access

to

global

talent

and

invest

in

workforce

development

to

addresstalent

shortagesExpand

the

engineering

partner

ecosystem

to

unlock

capacity

for

impactWhoshouldread

this

reportand

why?Executive

summaryUrgencyfortransformationResearch

brief

-

Capgemini

Research

Institute

2025EngineeringandR&Dpulse2026

|7Levers

forefficiencyand

agilityEmerging

tech

astransformationcatalystsAIshapingengineering’s

futureAppendixResearchmethodologyRecommendations02TheurgencyforengineeringandR&D

transformationis

realWhoshouldread

this

reportand

why?Executive

summaryUrgencyfortransformationLevers

forefficiencyand

agilityResearch

brief

-

Capgemini

Research

Institute

2025EngineeringandR&Dpulse2026

|8Emerging

tech

astransformationcatalystsAIshapingengineering’s

futureAppendixResearchmethodologyRecommendationsOrganizations

are

under

pressure

to

innovate

fasterandcut

costsWe

are

in

a

global

competition

with

China,andit'snotjustEVs.Andifwelosethis,we

do

not

have

a

future

Ford.

[...]

China'ssuccessfulforgoodreason.Ithasgreatinnovation

at

a

very

low

cost.”2Jim

FarleyCEO|

FordIn

biopharma,

China's

dramatic

speed,cost

and

scale

have

triggered

a

shift

inthe

global

competitive

landscape.”3Albert

BourlaCEO|

Pfizer44%Industrialmanufacturing,machineryand

equipmentOverall

AutomotiveAerospaceand

defenseRetailRailEnergyand

utilitiesTelecommunicationsHigh

tech

Life

sciencesChemicalsConsumer

products69%46%48%51%39%45%40%42%39%40%33%35%32%48%52%50%47%44%42%41%59%57%46%

Innovation

risk

[Percentage

of

executives

who

agree

withthe

statement:

"We

risk

losing

significant

market

share

tostartups

and

emerging

market

players

within

the

next

fiveyears,

if

we

fail

to

innovate

faster"]

Costrisk[Percentageofexecutiveswhoagreewiththestatement:"Withoutsignificantcostreductions,our

organization

risks

becoming

uncompetitive

againststartups

and

emerging

market

players

within

the

nextfive

years"]Whoshouldread

this

reportand

why?Executive

summaryUrgencyfortransformationLevers

forefficiencyand

agilityResearch

brief

-

Capgemini

Research

Institute

2025EngineeringandR&Dpulse2026

|9Emerging

tech

astransformationcatalystsAIshapingengineering’s

futureAppendixResearchmethodologyRecommendationsIn

Europe,

the

share

of

Chinese

EV

brands

has

grownfrom

0.4%

in

20195

to

10.6%

in

June

2025.6Brands

like

BYD

and

Geely

have

outpaced

traditionalautomakers

by

launching

new

models

faster

and

atlower

costs.7In

2024,

average

battery

prices

in

the

US

and

Europewere

31%

and

48%

higher

than

in

China.9LeadingmanufacturerssuchasCATLandBYDhavescaledupproductionfasterandmoreefficiently,and

achieved

higher

manufacturing

yields

than

theircompetitors.10GlobalsolarPVmanufacturing

capacityhassteadilyshiftedfromEurope,Japan,andtheUStoChinaoverthe

pastdecade.China

is

home

to

the

world’s

top

10

solar

PVequipment

suppliers.11~67%China’s

share

of

global

EV

sales4>75%China’s

share

of

batteries

sold

globally8>80%China’sshareinallthemanufacturingstages

of

solar

panels

(e.g.,

polysilicon,ingots,

wafers,

cells,

and

modules)EVsBatteriesSolar

PVmanufacturing

capacityChina’s

rapid

ascent

across

strategic

industries

is

reshaping

the

competitivelandscape

and

intensifying

the

urgency

to

adaptWhoshouldread

this

reportand

why?Executive

summaryUrgencyfortransformationLevers

forefficiencyand

agilityResearch

brief

-

Capgemini

Research

Institute

2025EngineeringandR&Dpulse2026

|10Emerging

tech

astransformationcatalystsAIshapingengineering’s

futureAppendixResearchmethodologyRecommendationsChinaisinvestingheavilyinCOMAC,itsstate-ownedaircraft

manufacturer,

to

grow

its

aircraft

market

share.COMAC

plans

to

begin

its

international

expansion

inSoutheastAsiaby2026,beforetargetingWesternmarkets.14China’s

biotech

sector

is

expanding

rapidly

–

annualrevenue

is

projected

to

grow

to

$34

billion

in

2030and

$220

billion

by

2040.Chinese

biotech

companies

are

increasinglydevelopingnovel,high-value

drugs.1235%Projected

share

of

FDA

approvals

by

2040for

drugs

originating

in

China,

up

from

just5%

today>1,000Orders

placed

domestically

for

COMAC

jets13Biotechand

pharmaAerospaceand

defenseWhoshouldread

this

reportand

why?Executive

summaryUrgencyfortransformationLevers

forefficiencyand

agilityResearch

brief

-

Capgemini

Research

Institute

2025EngineeringandR&Dpulse2026

|11Emerging

tech

astransformationcatalystsAIshapingengineering’s

futureAppendixResearchmethodologyRecommendations*Cost

includes

all

costs

that

go

into

making

aproduct

or

delivering

aservice

including

people,

materials,

and

daily

operations.*Time

for

product

or

service

design

and

development

includes

testing

and

quality

assurance/certification.*Time

for

production

ramp-up

or

deployment

covers

manufacturing

engineering

and

factory

commissioning

up

to

the

start

of

production.Source:

Capgemini

Research

Institute,

Engineering

and

R&D

trends

survey,

August

2025,

N

=

1,500

organizations.We’reshiftingfromperfection-firsttoiteration-first.Productsmust

meet

current

needs

quicklyand

evolve

through

rapid

cycles–

speed

is

now

a

strategicToday,itisnolongersizethatguarantees

survival,

but

speed.”15Thomas

SchmallMember

of

the

Board

of

Management

|Volkswagenimperative.”Andrew

D'SouzaDirector,GlobalR&D|

3MThe

cost

of

staying

competitive

–

driving

a

10%reduction

in

cost

and

faster

time-to-marketOver

the

next

two

to

three

years,

what

level

of

improvement/reduction

does

your

organization

need

to

achievein

the

following

areas

to

remain

competitive?2%16%26%36%20%0%1%15%48%34%2%0%1%21%46%31%2%0%Total

product

or

service

delivery

cost(includingpeople,

materials,and

operations)Time

for

product

or

service

designand

developmentTime

for

production

ramp-upor

deploymentAverage:

~10%Average:

~9%Average:

~8%

Lessthan

1%1–5%5–10%10–15%15–20%More

than

20%Whoshouldread

this

reportand

why?Executive

summaryUrgencyfortransformationLevers

forefficiencyand

agilityResearch

brief

-

Capgemini

Research

Institute

2025EngineeringandR&Dpulse2026

|12Emerging

tech

astransformationcatalystsAIshapingengineering’s

futureAppendixResearchmethodologyRecommendationsDeepening

global

uncertainty

and

disruption

complicate

the

race

to

adaptLess

than

one

third

of

executives

believe

their

organizations

are

preparedfor

geopolitical

uncertainty,

supply

chain

disruptions,

and

talent

shortagesSource:

Capgemini

Research

Institute,

Engineering

andR&Dtrends

survey,

August

2025,

N

=

1,500

organizations.Geopolitical

risks

are

forcing

us

to

rethink

everything

–from

sourcing

strategies

to

talent

development.It’s

a

complete

reset."Ramakrishnan

RamanathanVice

President

–

Born

Electric

Vehicle,

New

Mobility

|

Renault

Nissan[...]theworldisfacingashortageofyoungpeoplewithengineering

and

STEM

skills.

Some

estimates

show

nearlyoneinthreeengineeringroleswillremainunfilledeveryyear

from

now

to

at

least

2030.

This

poses

a

serious

risk

totheenergy

transition."17Ignacio

GalánExecutiveChairman|

IberdrolaEngineering

and

R&D

threats

versus

preparednessGeopoliticaluncertainty(e.g.,tariffs,

tradebarriers,conflicts,sovereignty

mandates)Supply

chain

disruptions

(including

rawmaterial

scarcity)Talentshortages

(engineering/digital/AI)60%29%62%32%55%33%Percentage

of

executives

who

identified

each

globalchallenge

as

a

major

threat

to

their

engineering

andR&Dfunction

over

the

next

three

to

five

yearsPercentage

of

executives

who

say

that

their

organizationis

prepared

to

respond

to

the

challengeSupplychaindisruptionsandlaborshortagesintheaerospace

industry

have

created

record

backlogs

thatcould

take

over

13

years

to

clear.16Whoshouldread

this

reportand

why?Executive

summaryUrgencyfortransformationLevers

forefficiencyand

agilityResearch

brief

-

Capgemini

Research

Institute

2025EngineeringandR&Dpulse2026

|13Emerging

tech

astransformationcatalystsAIshapingengineering’s

futureAppendixResearchmethodologyRecommendationsCore

engineering

metrics

are

heading

in

the

wrong

directionTotal

product

or

service

delivery

cost(includingpeople,materials,andoperations)Time

for

product

or

service

designand

developmentTime

for

production

ramp-upor

deploymentIt

has

stayed

the

sameIthas

decreasedIthas

increasedIthas

decreasedsignificantly

(15%+)Ithas

increasedsignificantly

(15%+)28%How

have

the

following

aspects

of

your

engineering

and

R&D

operations

evolved

over

the

last

three

years?51%12%9%1%4%43%20%25%7%4%38%29%28%2%78%

of

organizations

report

higher

costs,

and

nearly

half

(48%)

have

experiencedlonger

design

and

development

timelines

over

the

past

three

years*Cost

includes

all

costs

that

go

into

making

aproduct

or

delivering

aservice

including

people,

materials,

and

daily

operations.*Time

for

product

or

service

design

and

development

includes

testing

and

quality

assurance/certification.*Time

for

production

ramp-up

or

deployment

covers

manufacturing

engineering

and

factory

commissioning

up

to

the

start

of

production.Source:

Capgemini

Research

Institute,

Engineering

and

R&D

trends

survey,

August

2025,

N

=

1,500

organizations54%Supply

chainconstraints49%Resistance

tochange53%Lackofskilled

talent48%Legacy

systemsoroutdatedtechnologyNotably,almosthalf(47%)ofEuropeanrespondentsciteregulatoryandcompliancechallengesasamajorbarrier(compared

to

37%

in

the

USand39%in

China).Top

barriers

to

improvingcost,

speed

and

scaleWhoshouldread

this

reportand

why?Executive

summaryUrgencyfortransformationLevers

forefficiencyand

agilityResearch

brief

-

Capgemini

Research

Institute

2025EngineeringandR&Dpulse2026

|14Emerging

tech

astransformationcatalystsAIshapingengineering’s

futureAppendixResearchmethodologyRecommendations"We

currently

don't

make

enough

money

fromour

cars,

while

our

costs

for

energy,

materialsandpersonnelhavecontinuedtorise.Wecannotcontinue

asbefore.”18Thomas

SchäferCEO,VolkswagenPassenger

CarsWho

shouldExecutiveUrgency

forLevers

forEmerging

tech

asAI

shapingRecommendationsResearchAppendixread

this

reportsummarytransformationefficiencytransformationengineering’smethodologyand

why?and

agilitycatalystsfutureResearch

brief

-

Capgemini

Research

Institute

2025EngineeringandR&Dpulse2026

|15Cost

and

time

increases

have

played

out

differentlyacrosssectors,reflectingoperational

realitiesSource:

Capgemini

Research

Institute,

Engineering

andR&Dtrends

survey,

August

2025,

N

=

1,500

organizations.OverallChemicalsEnergyand

utilitiesIndustrialmanufacturing,

machinery

andequipmentRailHigh

techRetailAerospaceand

defenseLife

sciencesAutomotiveConsumerproducts

Telecommunications

Total

product

or

service

delivery

cost(includingpeople,materials,andoperations)Time

for

product

or

servicedesignand

developmentTime

for

production

ramp-up

ordeployment78%48%42%89%19%17%77%14%23%87%9%

10%78%12%8%94%82%74%21%

23%20%83%18%75%89%36%79%96%92%7%87%85%74%85%76%83%Percentage

of

executives

reporting

increases

in

the

following

over

the

past

three

years

–

by

sectorExamplesof

sector-specificchallengesEnergy:

Over

the

past

four

years,

costsand

procurement

lead

times

for

criticalgridcomponents–suchaspowertransformersandhigh-voltage

cables–

have

nearly

doubled,

creating

majorchallengesfor

griddevelopers.19Aerospace:Inthepastyear,over70%ofUSmanufacturersexperiencedserioussupplychaindisruptions,withlead

times

for

key

components

such

assemiconductors,titaniumalloys,andelectronicsrising30–50%abovepre-pandemic

levels.20Lifesciences:PharmaceuticalR&Dspending

increased

by

nearly

60%

from2012to2022,whiletimelinesfrominitiation

of

a

clinical

trial

to

completionof

patient

enrollment

increased

by

26%between2019and2023,reflectingrisingR&D

complexity.21Who

shouldExecutiveUrgency

forLevers

forEmerging

tech

asAI

shapingRecommendationsResearchAppendixread

this

reportsummarytransformationefficiencytransformationengineering’smethodologyand

why?and

agilitycatalystsfutureResearch

brief

-

Capgemini

Research

Institute

2025EngineeringandR&Dpulse2026

|1603Unlockingefficiency

andagility:Digitizationanddiversifiedoutsourcingtop

theagendaWhoshouldread

this

reportand

why?Executive

summaryUrgencyfortransformationLevers

forefficiencyand

agilityEmerging

tech

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Capgemini

Research

Institute

2025EngineeringandR&Dpulse2026

|17AIshapingengineering’s

futureAppendixResearchmethodologyRecommendationsDigitization

and

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lead

efficiency

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while

techpartnerships

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