In terms of obstacles, the high investment costs are cited in first place with 72%. From the perspective of the digital association Bitkom, however, these investments are just as essential as the regular care and maintenance of machines. "Without them, there will be no modern, efficient production in the future," says Winfried Holz. More than half of those surveyed also cite the high complexity of the topic as an obstacle and just as many see the lack of skilled workers as a problem. Companies are also concerned about data protection and data security requirements as well as the feared susceptibility of systems to faults due to the use of IT, as well as the lack of a legal framework.