Cybersecurity is a top priority for car manufacturers

The global survey, conducted in partnership with Automotive Manufacturing Solutions, reveals a remarkable consensus: 95% of respondents rate cybersecurity as important, with more than half (53%) rating it as "extremely important". Across all major automotive regions - from OEMs to Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers - cybersecurity was ranked as the industry's top priority for the next five years.

This marks a significant turnaround compared to previous years, when cyber security was just one of many issues. Today, manufacturers are increasingly recognizing that cyber incidents extend far beyond traditional IT systems: they can paralyze production lines, disrupt supply chains and even have an impact on manufactured products - even in environments where plants are not directly connected to the internet.

"Instead of slowing down digitalization, manufacturers today more than ever demand the certainty that networked production can be operated safely and resiliently," explains Jörg Reger, Head of Business Line Automotive at ABB Robotics. "With more than nine out of ten respondents expecting the use of AI and big data management to increase - and a similar number planning to make more intensive use of digital twins and simulations - secure connectivity has long been essential. In view of the EU's Cyber Resilience Act, manufacturers need partners who are already optimally prepared for this. For this reason, platforms such as our OmniCore controller family have been developed from the ground up for secure and connected manufacturing. They enable state-of-the-art digital functions while giving our customers full control over how and where connectivity is used. Our aim is to help them use connected technologies in a way that is secure, robust and future-proof in the long term."

ABB Robotics' approach to cybersecurity has evolved continuously over decades, starting with an early cultural shift that firmly integrated security principles into product development, governance and lifecycle management across the portfolio. Today, security requirements are embedded in every development phase and are supported at the highest levels of the company. This means that cyber security is not treated as an add-on, but as a fundamental requirement for all solutions and technologies.

This year's survey includes assessments from 473 decision-makers from the global automotive industry, including vehicle manufacturers and suppliers from the entire value chain.

The results of the study illustrate how rapidly networked technologies are spreading in manufacturing. Advanced robotics, image processing systems, data analytics, digital twins and AI are significantly increasing productivity, quality and flexibility. However, for these technologies to reach their full potential, they require secure and reliably controlled connectivity.

"For manufacturers, cyber security is no longer just a glimpse of the future, but a key challenge that they must master today at the heart of their production," emphasizes Jörg Reger, Head of the Automotive Business Line at ABB Robotics. "As factories become increasingly connected, software-driven and data-intensive, cybersecurity has become an essential discipline in manufacturing. That's why we at ABB Robotics have been consistently integrating security standards into our culture and into the development of our intelligent, connected automation platforms for decades - so that our customers can safely drive digital manufacturing forward."