A Roland Berger survey found that physical AI production deployment in Japan stands at just 7.5%, with uncertain ROI prospects and talent shortages hindering adoption. The government and businesses have set out plans for ¥10.5 trillion in investment by fiscal 2040, accelerating market development. Companies need to build up production implementations incrementally. State the key points in no more than 100 characters.
Roland Berger, a major European consulting firm, surveyed 200 CxOs in the manufacturing, logistics and infrastructure services sectors on their use of physical AI. Conducted on 8–9 July 2026, the survey reported the current state of production deployment alongside the findings of a thought-leadership report.
The survey found that only 7.5% of companies had deployed physical AI in production, while 71.5% had not even begun considering it. The factors behind this included uncertainty over ROI, a shortage of personnel and expertise to drive initiatives, and the absence of clear criteria for getting started.
The formation of a physical AI market is gathering pace in Japan, with the public and private sectors announcing plans for ¥10.5 trillion in investment by fiscal 2040. Significant investment benefits are expected in logistics and warehousing, where product variety, fluctuating demand and returns remain challenges, as well as in response to constraints on factory operating hours.
Roland Berger recommends learning from small-scale production implementations, accumulating data and scaling up with the right partners. Through its investment in and management participation in a new company founded by Aleph Alpha founder Jonas Andrulis, along with collaborative activities involving Spielfeld and RB AI Labo, the firm is working to promote innovation in AI.