Autodesk has released its 2025 State of Design & Make report, exploring sentiments from leaders across design and make industries on managing cost control, embracing emerging technologies and addressing the talent and skills gaps.
The report suggests that despite experiencing geopolitical and economic uncertainty, the majority of leaders continue to invest in AI and technology advancement, acquisitions and sustainability across the board. Although AI and tech investments have slowed, early adopters are beginning to benefit and refine their strategies.
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‘The accelerating pace of innovation and demand for sustainability is reshaping skill requirements across the industries we serve. This creates both a challenge and a massive opportunity for design and make leaders,’ said Andrew Anagnost, president and CEO of Autodesk. ‘This year’s findings are clear – companies that invest in bridging the skills gap will be more resilient and better positioned to leverage emerging technologies.’
The survey upon which the report is based found that while AI adoption is accelerating, enthusiasm is cooling as companies confront the challenges of implementation – namely finding the trained talent to advance this work. Companies that are investing in technology, including AI, are seeing early productivity gains, while those that are less tech-advanced are reassessing their AI strategies or remain in the early-adoption stages. Trust in AI has declined and leaders are becoming more cautious about its disruptive potential.
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Nearly half of survey respondents said that AI will destabilise their industry, a seven-point increase from last year; 65 per cent of respondents said that they trust AI in their field, reflecting an 11-point decline. Confidence in AI decision-making has also dropped, with 69 per cent of professionals expressing confidence in their company’s AI choices, down nine points.
Despite these concerns, AI investment will be a top priority. Business leaders at tech-advanced companies in design and make are still feeling bullish as they identify opportunity and increase investment in training. Tech-advanced companies continue to lead in AI adoption and are seeing benefits in hiring, productivity and innovation from digital transformation efforts.
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More than two-thirds of leaders plan to increase AI investments and only 40 per cent of professionals report that their companies are approaching or have achieved their AI goals, highlighting a longer road ahead.
The talent crunch continues to affect business growth. Leaders are struggling to find employees with the right technical skills while also lacking the resources to build effective internal training programmes. This widening skills gap is pushing leaders to rethink their workforce strategies.
Almost half said AI skills will be a top hiring priority over the next three years; 58 per cent of professionals report that a lack of access to skilled talent is a barrier to growth, a 15-point increase from last year; 61 per cent said new employees with the right technical skills are difficult to find, up 16 points from 2024.
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While companies acknowledge the importance of upskilling, many are struggling to address these challenges with on-the-job training and continuous learning that could help their employees – and their businesses – keep up with the rapid pace of transformation. Nearly half of professionals said their organisations lack the resources to design internal training programmes – a ten-point increase from last year; 77 per cent of tech-advanced companies plan to increase investments in digital training, compared to 59 per cent of less tech-advanced companies.
When industry professionals were asked if their companies are planning to invest more in digital skills training in the next three years, 68 per cent said they were, down five percentage points to last year.
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Sustainability is emerging as a key differentiator for companies seeking to drive growth, build resilience and attract top talent. As businesses navigate economic pressures and shifting regulations, sustainability is becoming a necessity in the global marketplace for long-term success. Organisations with advanced technology adoption are leading the way, using sustainability as a competitive advantage.
Three-quarters of professionals at tech-advanced companies said sustainability efforts are helping attract and retain talent, compared to 54 per cent at less tech-advanced companies. Business leaders are increasingly recognising the financial benefits of sustainability, with 72 per cent believing it can generate more than five per cent of their annual revenue. AI continues to play a pivotal role in sustainability efforts, with 39 per cent of companies using AI to be more sustainable, up from 34 per cent in 2024.
For the third year in a row, leveraging data and advanced technology has helped design and make companies navigate disruption and uncover new opportunities. In addition to improvements in customer satisfaction, productivity and innovation, leaders also reported gains in company reputation (72 per cent), product and service expansion (68 per cent) and enhanced data exchange (67 per cent). The takeaway is clear: companies investing in modernisation are seeing meaningful results.
The complete findings of the 2025 State of Design & Make report can be found here.