MES Market to Nearly Double to US$43 Billion by 2036 as Manufacturers Prioritize SaaS, AI Readiness, and Data Context
ABI Research finds the MES-versus-MOM branding debate is distracting manufacturers from the real market shift toward
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NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global technology intelligence firm ABI Research finds the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) market will grow from US$22 billion in 2026 to US$43 billion by 2036, underscoring sustained demand for execution-layer software as manufacturers modernize operations for AI-supported workflows. The firm’s latest analysis concludes that while terminology around Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) continues to evolve, MES remains the clearer and more commercially relevant category for the market.
“The Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Versus Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) Branding Debate is Not Practical and Must End,” said Colin McMahon, senior analyst at ABI Research. “Manufacturers care less about competing acronyms than whether a platform can deliver interoperability, contextualized data, and practical support for digital-first, AI-enabled operations.”
ABI Research forecasts the MES market will expand at a 7.6% CAGR between 2025 and 2036, with SaaS deployments driving the majority of new revenue as manufacturers shift away from monolithic, legacy architectures. The research also finds discrete manufacturers are showing a stronger near-term appetite to invest in and upgrade MES software, with 31% indicating increased intent over the next 12 months versus 26% previously.
The report highlights that the market’s real point of differentiation is not broader branding, but modular composability and stronger integration across IT and OT environments. Vendors including Dassault Systèmes, iTAC Software, Siemens, Elisa Industriq, AVEVA, Pico MES, MachineMetrics, Tulip Interfaces, MPDV, and others continue to use a mix of MES, MOM, and adjacent labels, but ABI Research finds little consistency in how those terms map to actual functionality or customer value.
Looking ahead, ABI Research expects the next phase of MES growth to center on machine-derived data, real-time contextualization, API-based integration, and AI-supported decision-making. “The right solution matters more than the right acronym,” McMahon said. “Providers that reduce reliance on manual data entry and instead build around connected, contextualized operational data will be best positioned to support scalable analytics, faster decisions, and stronger manufacturing outcomes.”
These findings are from ABI Research’s Beyond MES: The State of Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) and MOM-Like Solutions report, part of the company’s Industrial & Manufacturing Technologies research service, which includes research, data, and ABI Insights.
About ABI Research
ABI Research is a global technology intelligence firm uniquely positioned at the intersection of technology solution providers and end-market companies. We serve as the bridge that seamlessly connects these two segments by providing exclusive research and expert guidance to drive successful technology implementations and deliver strategies proven to attract and retain customers.
ABI Research是一家全球性的技术情报公司，拥有得天独厚的优势，充当终端市场公司和技术解决方案提供商之间的桥梁，通过提供独家研究和专业性指导，推动成功的技术实施和提供经证明可吸引和留住客户的战略，无缝连接这两大主体。
For more information about ABI Research’s services, contact us at +1.516.624.2500 in the Americas, +44.203.326.0140 in Europe, +65.6592.0290 in Asia-Pacific, or visit www.abiresearch.com.
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