The premier global event series highlights AI integration, a record-breaking US$87.25 BN market size, and an industry-leading Digital Twin/Thread benchmark.
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, USA 23 April 2026— CIMdata, Inc., the leading global research, consulting, and education firm specializing in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and the Digital Transformation it enables, announces the successful completion of its 2026 PLM Market & Industry Forum series. This year’s forums, hosted across the USA, France, India, China, and Japan, provided the "PLM Economy" with its first look at the 2025 market results and the emerging trends defining the future of digital transformation.
The 2026 theme, "AI in PLM: Expanding Capabilities Across the Product Lifecycle," resonated deeply with an international audience of software and service providers. As AI shifts from experimental to essential, the forums served as a critical venue for discussing the state of AI adoption and how to absorb these technologies into the enterprise roadmap to drive measurable value.
2026 Program Highlights Included:
- The State of AI in PLM: Exclusive findings from CIMdata’s global research, including benchmarks on AI adoption in engineering and its impact on the PLM economy.
- Digital Twin & Digital Thread: An industry benchmark analysis on the value potential and realization of seamlessly connected data across the lifecycle.
- 2025 Market Results: The first public release of CIMdata’s global PLM market analysis, including revenue and market share for leading providers.
Commenting on the PLM market results and the evolving state of the business-critical industry, Peter Bilello, President & CEO of CIMdata, stated: "In 2025, the global PLM market reached a significant milestone, growing to US$87.25 BN. While the overall market growth of 8.7% landed slightly below our 9.3% forecast—likely reflecting continued global economic uncertainty—the underlying data suggests a market in the midst of a profound transformation. We were particularly struck by the performance of the Platform Technologies segment, which defied the broader trend, growing 8.9% and exceeding our forecast of 7.1%. This suggests that even as industrial management teams seek more concrete proof of ROI before fully committing to massive AI investments, they are doubling down on the core digital platforms required to make those future capabilities possible."
He continued, "The global 'PLM Economy' is also seeing a strategic shift in its provider base. Software resellers are navigating intense margin pressures and are increasingly evolving into high-value service providers or being consolidated into larger entities. Furthermore, the recent surge in EDA acquisitions highlights a critical industry crossroads: the winners in this space will be those who can successfully bridge the gaps that currently exist between electronics, software, and mechanical-engineering-centric platforms. At CIMdata, we see this as the essential next step in realizing the full potential of the end-to-end digital thread."
The PLM Market & Industry Forums provide the PLM Economy with the first look at CIMdata's PLM market estimates. CIMdata releases the complete analysis in its PLM Market Analysis Report Series. For more information, please see www.CIMdata.com.
