APAC manufacturing builds readiness for AI and robotics

83% of APAC business and CRE leaders in the manufacturing industry recognise that AI will impact their portfolio strategies, with substantial changes to the CRE function expected over the next three to five years. Manufacturers are responding by actively preparing their physical spaces for collaboration with AI and robotics. With skilled talent in short supply across the sector, the most forward-thinking organisations are moving past planning into active implementation, building the roadmaps, systems and spaces needed to support this shift.

In JLL’s Future of Work Survey 2026, 71% of manufacturing CRE leaders reported high readiness for working alongside AI and robotics in the next three to five years, well above the APAC CRE average of 58%. The commitment is most evident in how manufacturers are spending: two in five have already actively budgeted for redesigning their workplaces for human-AI collaboration. A similar number have budgeted to begin.

The investments manufacturers make today will determine how well their spaces are equipped to support AI and robotics in the next decade. For robotics, that means securing sufficient floor loads, clear pathways and adequate charging infrastructure on the production floor. For human-AI collaboration, it means designing layouts and workstations that support shared tasks between workers and AI-assisted tools. These include embedded sensors for real-time monitoring and co-creative spaces for rapid prototyping.

Figure 1: How the organisation is preparing for AI impact on CRE strategy

Source: JLL Research (2026)

Getting workspaces ready is only the first step. Skills gaps in AI/emerging technologies and analytics remain the leading CRE constraint for manufacturers, at 40%. Labour shortages in key skilled trades are also more acute in manufacturing, at 31% versus 24% across APAC. Without the right expertise, teams can deploy AI tools but struggle to troubleshoot and scale them, leaving a gap between having AI capability and operationalising it across a portfolio. The same applies on the ground: skilled tradespeople are needed to keep AI-enabled, robotics-ready facilities running day to day.

Figure 2: Key constraints limiting CRE value creation over the next 3-5 years

Source: JLL Research (2026)

Space and workforce readiness must advance in tandem. Facilities built or retrofitted for AI and robotics give manufacturers a head start, but that advantage only holds if the workforce keeps pace. Internal capability builds through upskilling, supported by change management to help teams adapt to working alongside AI. Where internal expertise does not yet exist, partnering with CRE experts gives manufacturers access to AI implementation and specialised analytics capability, while keeping strategic control and governance in-house.