As part of the drive to improve factory productivity, uptime and cost-effectiveness, MRO is a key area on which manufacturers must focus. MRO—short for maintenance, repair and operations—impacts almost every area of the plant. It covers every component and piece of equipment that contributes to and supports the manufacturer of an end product.
As we look at MRO trends for 2026, data-driven technologies are poised to move to the forefront of optimization plans for the future, supported by rapidly emerging innovations including AI, IIoT, robotics and autonomous supply chain solutions. MRO has long been an analog, manual process, but that’s beginning to change. To stay competitive, manufacturers must continue evolving toward smarter, technology-enabled approaches that deliver higher uptime, lower costs and greater operational resilience. With ongoing regulatory pressures, higher sustainability expectations and workforce shortages making their presence felt, 2026 represents a pivotal moment for transforming MRO operations into a more connected, efficient and future-ready model.
In this piece, we will look at the MRO industry trends that are bringing this critical part of the business in line with other digital advances that help personnel do their jobs more effectively while yielding benefits to the bottom line—benefits that are more important than ever in today’s industrial landscape.
Bringing MRO into the modern day—2026 trends
MRO trends can apply to nearly any area of the factory—the breadth of which can make improvements seem overwhelming or difficult to manage. To help narrow the field, we will focus on developments in three core areas: MRO parts repair trends, storeroom/inventory management trends and trends in supply chain management. These sections can make a major difference to your bottom line and are among the easiest to address. The anticipated trends for the 2026 MRO market forecast include:
1. Smart equipment and condition-based monitoring: Prior to the introduction and widespread use of sensors and smart equipment, maintenance followed a predictable routine. Preventive maintenance was carried out per manufacturer recommendations, parts were repaired when they broke down and inventory managers tried to keep enough components on hand to meet maintenance needs. As a result, numerous inefficiencies were introduced. Preventive maintenance meant that parts might be replaced earlier than necessary, reactive repairs led to excessive downtime and inventory guesswork often led to too much stock or not enough. Now, as sensors and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology become more accessible and inexpensive, manufacturers are better able to track equipment performance and maintenance needs, vastly reducing or eliminating the cost inefficiencies of outdated routines. Sensors have become standard even on legacy assets thanks to the development of cost-effective retrofits. These data-based methods allow manufacturers to identify and plan for maintenance, repairs and replacement before visible defects occur—or impact operations—in effect, transforming the MRO process to be more proactive and efficient. Now, manufacturers can shift from time-based preventive maintenance to condition-based and predictive maintenance strategies. Edge computing has the potential to reduce data latency and enable real-time alerts for even greater operational efficiency.
2. Modern storeroom strategies: With your focus rightfully on improving and refining your products, it can be easy for some critical aspects of your processes to fall by the wayside. One of these is proper storeroom management. However, by shifting the paradigm to make storeroom excellence a priority, you can gain a significant competitive advantage. For example, digital storerooms powered by automated cycle counts, RFID tracking and demand forecasting algorithms help plants optimize their MRO. There’s also been an increasing shift toward vendor-managed inventory (VMI) partnerships to offload more of the burden. As manufacturers look for any and all ways to get ahead of their competitors, you ignore your storeroom at your own risk.
3. Augmented reality for maintenance: Advancements in augmented reality have created a new way for technicians to do their jobs with greater efficacy. With specialized devices, they can see diagrams and instructions overlaid on top of the machinery they service, virtually eliminating the need to refer to hard copies of schematics. AI-guided AR overlays can dynamically adjust instructions based on the technician’s workflow. This makes repairs and maintenance tasks easier as well as making training simpler.
4. Sustainability and circular MRO: As sustainability becomes a higher priority for manufacturers, many are shifting their MRO focus to repairing parts rather than replacing them. This means fewer resources are consumed and less waste is generated. At the same time, evolving sustainability reporting requirements are prompting companies to measure and document the environmental impact of their MRO practices—making efficiency and accountability more critical than ever.
5. Artificial intelligence and advanced analytics: A growing number of operators in the MRO industry have incorporated AI into their processes, and that is only expected to continue. AI-enabled software is being used to analyze information from equipment to spot usage trends and predict when maintenance will be needed. It’s also finding its way into root-cause analysis, automated MRO planning, and risk scoring for critical assets, helping to predict disruptions before they occur. The goal is to prevent unexpected downtime and optimize the efficiency of MRO operations.
6. Flexible supply chains: The need for innovation and agility in procurement and sourcing remains critical to ensure supply chain resistance, and digital technology—from data collection and tracking to AI-enabled supply chain analysis—is the most effective way to navigate these challenges. Additional strategies are gaining momentum, such as multi-sourcing and nearshoring, providing manufacturers with greater flexibility and stronger supply chain resilience.
7. Skills and workforce transformation: The data- and technology-driven tools making an impact on MRO require a skilled, trained workforce that knows how to implement, service, and make use of sensors, AI, robotics and other cutting-edge equipment driving these changes. As the skills gap and labor shortage continue to present difficulties in filling these roles, many manufacturers draw upon turn-key workforce solutions to meet their needs.
8. AI-driven MRO procurement optimization: Forecasting demand for components has always been one of the trickiest aspects of MRO procurement. However, in recent years AI has emerged as a powerful tool for the MRO sector. These algorithms can analyze data regarding asset usage patterns, operational schedules and more to predict needs based on trends.
9. Autonomous inspections: Technology is transforming inspections into a faster, more precise process with less dependency on manual effort. Mobile robots and drones equipped with machine vision and advanced AI can quickly identify defects and signs of wear with a level of accuracy that surpasses the human eye. By accelerating detection and improving reliability, these systems are becoming an essential part of maintenance and repair strategies.
10. Workforce micro-credentialing: As technology becomes more ingrained in MRO operations and more granular, it’s difficult for technicians to achieve the type of all-encompassing credentials that used to be expected. Today, many are entering micro-credentialing programs that provide them with targeted qualifications for specific skill sets. This gives them the credentials they need to tackle certain aspects of the work sooner while they work on earning higher qualifications.
Themes to watch in 2026
As the MRO sector enters 2026, manufacturers should keep a close eye on key trends that will shape its evolution. These include:
- Autonomous MRO workflows: As AI becomes more advanced, it may become capable of generating, prioritizing and assigning work orders entirely on its own. This could exist in conjunction with robots that can perform routine inspections and tasks such as lubrication without human help. Algorithms and IIoT technology also have the potential to drive so-called self-healing systems that adjust operations on the fly to prevent excessive wear on assets.
- AI-driven inventory optimization: In the very near future, more operations in the MRO market could be driven by digital twins of equipment that simulate actual operating conditions and anticipate component failure before it happens in the real world. This could trigger automatic stock replenishment through machine learning algorithms connected to suppliers and vendors.
- Cybersecurity as a core MRO function: With so much of the modern manufacturing environment connected to the Internet, the potential for cyberattacks through any aspect of operations is increasing. This means there will need to be stronger alignment between OT and IT teams to ensure all systems are hardened against such incidents, so they cannot disrupt physical assets.
- Green MRO initiatives: Reducing waste and improving sustainability KPIs are high priorities for manufacturers today, and this is only expected to increase over the next year. Expect increased adoption of biodegradable and recyclable consumables, as well as energy-optimized maintenance schedules becoming normalized.
- Human/AI collaboration: In 2026, it’s expected that digital technicians’ assistants will become standard elements of the MRO workflow. These will provide technicians with guidance for diagnostics, repair sequencing, and work order execution, so workers won’t have to stop their work to refer to instructions.
MRO market growth
One of the most significant trends impacting the MRO sector of late has been its tremendous growth. As more industries seek ways to reduce costs as well as their ecological footprints, the idea of keeping equipment functional for as long as possible has gained prominence. The repair-first approach to MRO is being driven in large part by concerns over inflation and ongoing economic uncertainty.
The MRO industry offers an appealing alternative to costly replacement of components and systems in favor of regular maintenance and repairs. Advancements in technology such as machine health sensors and predictive algorithms have streamlined MRO operations to the point that they have become far more cost-effective and efficient than ever before. These are presenting innovative solutions to issues such as aging assets, shortages of skilled labor and capital expenditure constraints.
As this market segment continues to grow, the immediate impact will be continued adoption of MRO across all industrial sectors. The effect it can have on virtually all aspects of manufacturing, processing and other facets of industry is expected to drive it to new heights in 2026 and well into the future.
Why digital MRO?
The growing digital trend in manufacturing can be perplexing. How can processes that have been carried out the same way for so long be subject to change? The answer lies in the versatility of digital technology, and the vast benefits that it provides—which cannot be ignored.
Specifically, smart technology is not limited to new equipment. It is deceptively easy to retrofit data-collecting sensors to production equipment, as well as to MRO-specific areas such as the storeroom. New advancements such as edge computing, AI copilots and autonomous scheduling also are becoming increasingly simple to fit into current MRO workflows. This relatively easy implementation, combined with the vast benefits that technology can produce, are two key reasons that it has taken hold. Between the two lies the more difficult challenge—collecting, analyzing and using data to take action. ATS is an industry leader in manufacturing and maintenance technology, including MRO Asset Management solutions.
We draw on our extensive expertise as MRO providers to help you implement a smart technology plan that’s right for you. For more information, contact us today.
