Industrial software leader AVEVA has launched a landmark three-year research collaboration with IMD Business School to co-develop original thought leadership on industrial intelligence and how it enables business ecosystems.  

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, January 5th, 2026 – AVEVA, a global leader in industrial software, has initiated a dedicated three-year project with IMD Business School to conduct an in-depth programme of research focused on how organisations can tap into industrial intelligence to build, orchestrate and scale business ecosystems.

Industrial Intelligence – the dynamic integration of data-driven insight, enhanced with industrial AI and human expertise – is the core of AVEVA’s work, and is at the heart of how organisations can capture value from business ecosystems. This new research project, led by IMD Professors Michael Wade and  Mark Greeven, will examine the emerging trends and best practices that will enable companies in sectors like manufacturing, energy, transport and data centres to unlock insights from data, transcend silos, empower workers and innovate at scale.

There will be specific areas of emphasis throughout the programme, including: the role of AI in managing ecosystems; how global business networks can accelerate the energy transition and circularity; the evolution of new ecosystem-powered business models; and how companies can redefine partnerships for the digital era while ensuring compliance and managing risk.

“By bringing together AVEVA’s deep technical roots in industry with IMD’s applied research focus, we’re cracking the code on how industrial intelligence can be harnessed to address higher-order business problems. We’re excited to explore the people, process and technology enablers of connected business ecosystems and how they can be a spur to transformation and improved productivity,” comments Caspar Herzberg, CEO, AVEVA. “Through in-depth original research with executives and industry practitioners around the world, this research collaboration will unpack the critical success factors our customers must prioritise to drive resilience, sustainability and efficiency in operations.”

"As business ecosystems evolve at unprecedented speed, leaders need actionable frameworks grounded in real-world experience. This research project combines IMD's academic rigor with insights from AVEVA, one of the industry's leading innovators. By integrating deep operational expertise into our scholarly approach, we are delivering applied research that speaks directly to the challenges decision-makers face – research from business, for business. This is how we expand what organisations can achieve in practice, not just in principle," said Stefan Michel, Dean of Faculty and Research, IMD.

About AVEVA

AVEVA is a global leader in industrial software, sparking ingenuity to drive responsible use of the world’s resources. Over 90% of leading industrial enterprises rely on AVEVA to help them deliver life’s essentials: safe, reliable energy, food, medicines, infrastructure and more. By connecting people with trusted information and AI-enriched insights, AVEVA helps them engineer capital projects more efficiently, operate better and create sustainable value, from the plant to the cloud and beyond. Through our industrial intelligence platform, CONNECT, and our trusted and secure information management applications enriched with industrial AI, AVEVA empowers businesses to drive deeper collaboration between teams and to accelerate insight across their ecosystem of suppliers, partners and customers.  

Named as one of the world’s most innovative companies, AVEVA's open solutions draw on the expertise of more than 6,000 employees, 5,000 partners and 5,700 certified developers. The company, which has operations around the globe, is headquartered in Cambridge, UK. Learn more at www.aveva.com. 

Copyright © 2025 AVEVA Solutions Limited. All rights reserved. AVEVA Solutions Limited is owned by AVEVA Group Limited. AVEVA, the AVEVA logos and AVEVA product and service names are trademarks and service marks of AVEVA Group Limited or its subsidiaries. Other brands and product names are the trademarks of their respective companies.

About IMD Business School

IMD has been pioneering leadership development for nearly 80 years. Founded by business for business, we are an independent university institute with Swiss roots and global reach. Operating from Lausanne with strategic hubs in Singapore, Shenzhen, and Cape Town, IMD works with 20,000+ executives from 120+ countries annually. Our 145,000+ alumni form a powerful global network. Consistently ranked among the world’s top business schools, IMD bridges cutting-edge research with real-world application to help leaders solve problems, scale solutions, and drive impact. Real Learning for Real Impact. To learn more, visit www.imd.org.