Dive Brief:
- More than one-third of companies in critical infrastructure say they have no plans to implement IoT as access to tech skills remains limited, according to a report from Hitachi Vantara released Tuesday.
- More than half of companies in manufacturing, transportation, energy and utilities said they lacked sufficient skills in areas such as robotics deployment and operations, IoT and data science, according to the report. The company commissioned 451 Research to survey 600 IT and OT leaders.
- Once seen as a key barrier to IoT, nearly all respondents said IT and OT departments collaborate adequately or better when working on IoT projects.
Dive Insight:
IoT used to be a technology connector, but now it is able to generate new revenue streams, improve operations or yield better customer insight for organizations.
But technology ambitions once more clash with the marked skills gap, as a difficulty in attracting and developing talent engulfs businesses of all sectors.
Data science in particular troubles executives, said Bjorn Andersson, senior director of global marketing for IoT Solutions at Hitachi Vantara.
"The impact of not having that [talent] is that they can't really become as digital as they would like to be, they cannot execute at that digital pace," Andersson said.
High demand for data science skills is driving up compensation in that subset of technology skills. Certification programs related to data science and analysis are among the highest-paid certifications in IT.
