New ZEISS report finds U.S. manufacturers are turning to quality assurance to overcome 2025 industry challenges.

MAPLE GROVE, Minn., Oct. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report from ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions USA reveals that 93% of U.S. manufacturers view quality assurance as mission-critical to solving industry challenges in 2025.

New ZEISS report: 93% of U.S. manufacturers view quality assurance as mission-critical to solving industry challenges.

Drawing on responses from more than 1,100 manufacturing professionals across 49 states, the U.S. Manufacturing Insights Report 2025 provides a deep dive into the trends, opportunities, and challenges facing major industries, including aerospace, automotive/new energy vehicles, electronics, and medical. With participants ranging from shop-floor operators to C-suite executives, the report offers actionable insights into how U.S. manufacturers are addressing workforce shortages, reducing rework costs, and driving efficiency through advanced quality solutions.

"Quality's role has evolved from manufacturing stage to critical enabler of innovation, cost savings, and strategic growth," said Mark Smith, President, Head of ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions North America. "The findings of this report show that accuracy and speed of metrology technologies and software are pivotal, as precise data helps drive efficiency – enabling manufacturers to see more, know more, and deliver confidently."

Key Findings:

The state of manufacturing is stable, according to 42%, indicating no significant growth or decline.

Top manufacturing challenges include a lack of skilled personnel (47%), time-consuming inspection processes (47%), and the cost of rework and iterations (38%), emphasizing the importance of easy-to-use inspection technologies and software and precise data.

Quality is universal, with 93% of manufacturers citing that quality is very or extremely important to their operations, rising to 95% among executives and directors.

Sustainability is a critical success factor, positioning lean manufacturing operations as a priority to ensure long-term business viability.

New metrology technology is one of the greatest opportunities to overcome challenges, according to 44%, with 66% planning to invest in more than one metrology technology, indicating a strong demand for a multi-technology approach to quality assurance throughout the manufacturing product lifecycle.

Why This Matters Now

The report highlights a shift in U.S. manufacturing priorities, as global supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and cost pressures push the focus on innovation that supports operational resilience and stability, including digitalization, AI-enhanced inspection software, automation, and 3D metrology technologies, making quality a driver of efficiency and competitiveness.  

"Understanding the challenges and priorities of U.S. manufacturers is at the heart of what we do," said Hendrie Viktor, Vice President, Head of Sales at ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions North America. "The U.S. Manufacturing Insights Report 2025 brings together diverse perspectives throughout the country, offering a clear picture of the trends and technologies shaping the future of manufacturing."

Who Should Read the Report

This report is for leaders across the manufacturing value chain, from executives shaping strategy to engineers, quality teams, technicians, and suppliers who drive efficiency, compliance, and innovation.

The full U.S. Manufacturing Insights Report 2025 is available now as a free download at www.zeiss.com/metrology

About ZEISS

ZEISS is a leading global technology company in the optical and optoelectronic industry. In the four divisions Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology and Consumer Markets, the ZEISS Group most recently generated annual sales of around EUR 11 billion (September 30, 2024).

ZEISS develops, produces and sells highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for life sciences and materials research, and medical technology solutions for diagnostics and therapy in ophthalmology and microsurgery for its customers. ZEISS also stands for the world's leading lithography optics, which is used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. ZEISS brand products such as spectacle lenses, photo lenses and binoculars are sought-after and trendsetters worldwide.

With this portfolio, which is geared towards future growth areas such as digitalization, health and Industry 4.0, and a strong brand, ZEISS is helping to shape technological progress and advancing the world of optics and related areas with its solutions. The basis for the success and the further continuous expansion of ZEISS' technology and market leadership is the sustained high expenditure on research and development. ZEISS invests 14% of its sales in research and development work – these high expenditures have a long tradition at ZEISS and are also an investment in the future.

With more than 46,555 employees, ZEISS is active in around 50 countries with more than 60 sales and service locations, around 40 research and development sites and 35 production sites worldwide (March 31, 2025). Founded in Jena in 1846, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG, is the Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest German foundations for the promotion of science.

For more information, see www.zeiss.com

ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions

ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions is a leading manufacturer of solutions for multidimensional metrology. These include coordinate measuring machines, optical and multi-sensor systems, microscopy systems for industrial quality assurance, as well as metrology software for the automotive industry, aircraft and mechanical engineering, as well as the plastics industry and medical technology. Innovative technologies such as 3D X-ray measurement in quality assurance round off the portfolio. ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions also offers a global range of services with ZEISS Quality Excellence Centers close to its customers. Headquarters are in Oberkochen. Production and development sites outside Germany are located in Minneapolis (USA), Shanghai (China) and Bangalore (India). ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions is part of the Industrial Quality & Research division.

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SOURCE Carl Zeiss Industrial Quality Solutions, LLC