FOUR PREDICTIONS FOR ASSET MANAGEMENT IN 2026
BY BEREND BOOMS, HEAD OF EAM INSIGHTS, ULTIMO
The asset maintenance landscape is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades. As I speak with operations leaders, facility managers, and maintenance professionals across industries, one thing becomes crystal clear: we are standing at the threshold of a new era. The convergence of artificial intelligence( AI), sustainability imperatives, workforce evolution, and enterprisewide data integration is reshaping how organizations manage their most critical assets.
Based on my conversations with industry leaders and analysis of emerging trends, here are four predictions that will define asset maintenance in 2026 and beyond.
1. AI Becomes the New Norm
The predictive maintenance market is experiencing explosive growth. Valued at $ 7.85 billion in 2022, the global predictive maintenance market is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 29.5 percent from 2023 to 2030. But 2026 will mark a critical inflection point where AI shifts from a futurefacing ambition to a standard operating procedure.
Advanced machine learning algorithms will soon predict equipment failures 6 to 12 months in advance with accuracy rates exceeding 85 percent. When implemented properly, IoT-powered predictive maintenance can achieve prediction accuracies above 90 percent, and this precision will only improve as more data becomes available.
The integration of IoT sensors, digital twins, and AI will create a comprehensive asset health monitoring ecosystem. This shift from time-based to conditionbased maintenance strategies will reduce costs by 20 to 30 percent, while real-time optimization adjusts schedules based on actual usage patterns rather than arbitrary calendar intervals.
What distinguishes 2026 is that AI will extend far beyond predictive maintenance. It will influence procurement decisions, optimize spare parts management, recommend replacement versus repair strategies, and even predict the financial impact of maintenance decisions on overall business performance.
24 AUTOMATION, CONTROL & ENGINEERING