According to Dun & Bradstreet’s new 2025 Manufacturing Survey, based on responses from over 2,000 senior professionals across five major markets, the industry is at a crossroads.

As global supply chains grow more complex and regulatory pressures intensify, manufacturers are being forced to rethink how they manage risk, build resilience and drive innovation. 

In this article you will find some of the key statistics, but the full report including our recommendations for manufacturing firms going into 2026 can be downloaded here:

Regulatory Risk and External Threats Are No Longer Temporary

Tariffs, sanctions, and compliance requirements are now seen as fundamental, ongoing challenges. 33% of respondents cited regulatory changes (such as the U.S. tariffs and Russian sanctions) as their biggest obstacle in the past year. 31% report to have struggled to manage overall supply chain resilience, amidst geo-political and macro-economic shifts. Manufacturers expect these risks to persist into 2026, yet many firms still lack the data needed to understand the impact of these issues on their suppliers and other third parties.
 

Visibility Is the New Currency of Resilience

Despite the growing depth of global supply chains, only 18% of manufacturers monitor beyond Tier 3 suppliers. This lack of visibility is creating blind spots that lead to quality control issues, delivery delays, and increased operational costs. In fact, 97% of manufacturers reported experiencing disruption due to supply chain complexity.
 

Nearshoring Is Rising—But Slowly

While 61% of manufacturers plan to nearshore more than half of their supply chain, only 8% say it’s a priority in the next 12 months. This signals a long-term strategic shift rather than a short-term fix.
 

Ethical Oversight Remains a Blind Spot

Just 24% of manufacturers have data on modern slavery in their supply chains, and only 14% consider ethical sourcing a key future priority. ESG investment is growing, but financial compliance still dominates the risk agenda.
 

Data Deficiency Is Stalling Innovation

Worryingly, only 36% of manufacturers feel confident making informed decisions with their current data. Poor data quality, siloed systems, and manual processes are undermining efforts to adopt AI and automation. Nearly 44% of firms have experienced failed AI projects due to data issues.

What’s Next for Manufacturing Leaders?

The report outlines five strategic imperatives for manufacturers heading into 2026:

• Elevate multi-tier supply chain visibility to a board-level priority 

• Invest in tools for end-to-end transparency 

• Accelerate digital transformation and automation 

• Embed ESG and ethical sourcing into risk strategy 

• Reconfigure supplier networks to align with regional sourcing trends 

Download the full report to explore how manufacturers are resetting their risk strategies—and what it will take to thrive in a shifting global landscape.