This study provides an updated overview of IT spending trends and forecasts in European process manufacturing. Beginning with changes in the trends and business environment affecting IT demand in European manufacturing, the study explores changes in major drivers and directions in IT adoption in the Western European process manufacturing industry. On the quantitative side, the focus is on spending in hardware, packaged software, and IT services for the major European countries (Germany, France, the U.K., Italy, Spain, and other Western Europe) in the 2003 to 2008 timeframe, in the following sub-markets:
Process: Pharmaceutical, chemical, food, beverage, and tobacco, textile, wood and wood products, pulp and paper, rubber and plastic, non-metallic, metal, and other process.
The process manufacturing industry continues to face many ongoing business challenges but after a three-year downturn, this industry is definitely showing signs of recovery. It is evident that controlling costs is one of the main areas of IT focus across the Western European manufacturing industry, as reducing both operational and IT costs continues to be an overriding goal. Process manufacturers have continued to show the most dynamism in 2004 with regards to IT spending, and focus on the implementation of new strategic applications that can help organizations attain innovation, which is needed for growth, will pervade.