Key Scottish industries ‘could unlock billions’ from riding next wave of Internet of Things

Scotland’s energy, logistics and manufacturing sectors could unlock billions in productivity gains and export opportunities from the next wave of Internet of Things (IoT) growth, new research has suggested.

However, the study by Glasgow-based tech outfit Pelion also found that operational complexity is the largest ongoing challenge facing enterprise IoT programmes.

Some 670 “IoT decision-makers” in major businesses across the world and spanning multiple industry groups were questioned for The Connected Fleet 2026 study, produced by Pelion in partnership with ABI Research.

Dave Weidner is CEO of Glasgow-based Pelion.

The research points to the rapid development of AI, arguing that “effective, consistent cellular connectivity” has become essential infrastructure for businesses across a range of industries - enabling businesses to track assets, optimise supply chains and respond faster to operational issues wherever and whenever they occur.

Among the headline findings, respondents expect the proportion of internationally connected devices within their fleets to rise from 29 per cent today to 49 per cent by 2030, “reflecting a significant shift away from domestically focused deployments”.

Shortage of expertise emerged as the single largest obstacle to successful IoT deployments, ahead of budget constraints and connectivity issues.

Security concerns are also said to be intensifying as deployments mature. Almost one in four organisations experienced an IoT-related security incident during the past year.

Dave Weidner, chief executive of Pelion, said: “Connectivity itself is no longer the difficult part of enterprise IoT. The challenge comes when enterprise customers take their fleets internationally, grow in scale, and operate across multiple networks, jurisdictions and regulatory environments. Organisations are increasingly looking for partners that can simplify that operational complexity rather than add to it.

“The potential for an IoT revolution is significant, but only if we can overcome some of the critical infrastructure, security and expertise barriers holding deployment back. If we can overcome some of the short-term challenges, the future of enterprise IoT connectivity will be increasingly borderless, managed and eSIM-enabled, with buyers placing greater emphasis on security architecture, advisory services and unified management platforms when selecting connectivity providers.”