2026 Trends to Watch: Manufacturing Technology

Anna Ahrens

Principal Analyst

As a member of the Industrial IoT, software & communications team, Anna focuses on Industrial IoT. She examines the state of IIoT maturity and trends and transformations in automation approaches, edge and cloud computing, AI, cybersecurity, and predictive maintenance.

Anna joined Omdia in January 2019 and has more than 10 years of experience in the electronic components industry. Her background includes roles in forecasting, market intelligence, business development, and product management for display devices. Anna is based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Katelyn Galer

Senior Analyst

As part of Omdia’s Industrial IoT, Software, and Communications team, Katelyn focuses on industrial communications and industrial edge networking components. She covers trends in industrial networking components (e.g., IIoT gateways, routers, switches) and examines industrial communications standards and their implementation in manufacturing.

Prior to joining Omdia in 2023, Katelyn worked as an engineer for over 15 years, most recently in electro-mechanical instrumentation manufacturing. Katelyn has a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.

Daisuke Muto

Senior Analyst, Manufacturing Technology

Daisuke works as a market research analyst in the Manufacturing Technology group based in Tokyo, Japan. He covers the industrial markets related to control and visualization, including both world and Japanese markets for industrial products such as programmable logic controllers and I/O modules. He is also conducting the industrial user surveys in the Japanese market. 

Prior to joining Omdia, Daisuke worked in US, European, and Japanese semiconductor companies as a marketing and sales specialist for the industrial, automotive, and consumer spaces.

Joanne Goh

Senior Research Manager, Manufacturing Technology

Joanne is a research manager in Omdia’s manufacturing technology team, covering the Electric Motor System and Discrete, Process, and Capital Equipment research portfolios. She previously worked as the lead analyst for Omdia’s low-voltage motor drives intelligence service. Joanne has also done extensive research on motor-driven equipment and the motors and drives market across all vertical applications. 

Joanne joined Omdia (formerly IHS Markit) in 2015. Previously, she was an equipment/process engineer in a semiconductor company, where she was involved in cross-functional team projects to drive improvements in yield and process productivity. 

Alex West

Senior Principal Analyst, Industrial IoT

Alex West, senior principal analyst for the manufacturing technology group, leads its coverage of industrial sustainability, including readiness benchmarking, analysis of company sustainability performance, technology impact, and tracking legislation and sustainability start-ups. Alex also examines technology’s impact on the future of work and regularly contributes to Omdia’s Industrial Sustainability Today newsletter.

Over his 20 years as an analyst, covering discrete and process automation and machinery markets, he has helped customers understand the potential of the technology markets and perform voice-of-the-customer analyses. Alex has analyzed competitive environments, business models, technology trends, and end user requirements. He has consulted on the best practices for implementing IIoT, supported go-to-market strategies, and created market positioning content. He is a regular keynote speaker at industry events, tradeshows, and conferences worldwide. Alex holds a Bachelor of Science (Honors) in physics from the University of Bath, England, and is based in Northampton, UK.

Zara Fennell

Senior Analyst, Manufacturing Technology

Zara is a senior analyst for the manufacturing technology team. She leads its coverage of medium-voltage drives, motors & drives vertical applications, and battery manufacturing, with a particular focus on global and regional automation market trends, key factors affecting the automation market, and changing trends for various industries. Zara contributes to the Industrial Sustainability Today newsletter.

Prior to joining Omdia in 2022, Zara worked for the Financial Times, providing global and regional market analyses on foreign direct investment trends and as a consultant to the superyacht industry. Based in London, Zara holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in History and Politics from the University of Leicester.

Jared Kearby

Government and Manufacturing

Jared Kearby is a senior analyst within Omdia’s manufacturing technology team, specializing in industrial automation and motion control markets. His primary research coverage includes product areas such as low-voltage motors, linear motion components, and decentralized AC drives, where he provides in-depth analysis of market trends, competitive dynamics, and technology adoption. 

In addition to authoring syndicated research reports, Jared plays a key role in supporting Omdia’s consulting group. He has served as lead analyst on multiple custom projects, delivering actionable insights for clients across the industrial sector. His consulting work focuses on competitive benchmarking, market strategy, and assessing the impact of macroeconomic and industry-specific drivers on product demand.

Lisa Wang

Senior Analyst, Manufacturing Technology

As part of Omdia’s Manufacturing Technology team, Lisa Wang focuses on the industrial automation equipment and medium voltage motors segments, with a particular focus on global and regional automation market trends, key factors affecting the automation market, and changes in trends for various industries. Lisa has also carried out extensive research on various segments of the medium voltage motors market.

Lisa joined Omdia (formerly IHS Markit) in 2013. She has been studying the automation market in depth for five years, having previously focused on the Chinese machinery equipment market. Many clients recognize her analyses and insights in the automation field. She is currently based in China.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Tian Jin University of Commerce.

Nattalyn Teng

Research Analyst, Electric Motor Systems

Nattalyn focuses on the research and analysis of low-voltage drives in the Government & Manufacturing team. She conducts primary and secondary research to understand customer needs and to reinforce Omdia’s competitive edge in the discrete and process industries. She provides key market insights by building rapport with industry experts.

Before joining Omdia, Nattalyn was a strategy consultant based in London, where she created bespoke solutions for pharmaceutical leaders and contributed to the life sciences industry. For her projects, Nattalyn crafted tailored value propositions and led high-level discussions with potential partners, resulting in successful deal negotiations.

Nattalyn holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Imperial College London. She is also equipped with experience in the research laboratory optimizing a copper-based catalyst widely used in the petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and energy production industries.

Rachel See

Research Analyst, Electric Motor Systems

Rachel conducts research and analysis on the machinery market. Previously, she conducted primary research with manufacturers and secondary research on topics related to low-voltage drives in discrete and process industries for Omdia's Low Voltage Drives Intelligence Service. She is an analyst for Omdia’s Machinery Production Market Tracker (MPMT).

Rachel joined Omdia in 2022. Previously, Rachel was based in a manufacturing company for over four years where she gained plenty of hands-on experience. There, she worked as a project engineer, handling improvement, cost saving, and expansion projects. Rachel graduated with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany.

Yueqin Shen

Analyst, Manufacturing Technology

As part of Omdia’s Manufacturing Technology team, Yueqin Shen focuses on machine vision in the factory automation segment. Yueqin has carried out extensive primary and secondary research on market sizing, competitor tracking, and technology update in the machine vision market. She is currently based in Shanghai, China.

Before joining Omdia, Yueqin was a strategy consultant, advising senior executives of multinational corporations on energy transition, sustainability management, and decarbonization. Yueqin holds a Master’s degree in management (Grande École) from ESSEC Business School in Paris and completed her undergraduate studies at East China University of Science and Technology.