30 Challenging the status quo Microsoft’s Dayan Rodriguez outlines how AI is shaping the future of manufacturing Nearly three in every four enterprise businesses are planning to deploy agentic AI within the next two years, according to Deloitte’s 2026 The State of AI in the Enterprise report. Adoption of physical AI is expected to reach 80 per cent in the same timeframe, with manufacturing, logistics and defence leading the way. At the Hannover Messe 2026 event, more than 4,000 companies will highlight how cloud and AI is driving measurable performance across factories, supply chains and mobility networks. For Dayan Rodriguez, corporate vice president of global manufacturing and mobility at Microsoft, this is the moment to move from traditional methods to AI-driven, scalable and autonomous operations. We spoke with him to find out more. Tell us about your professional background and what drew you to Microsoft. I began my career with degrees in engineering and programming, working on systems that had to perform on factory floors under pressure. Over time I moved into product management, general management, and profit and loss leadership. At Rockwell Automation, I led global businesses across the industrial internet of things (IIoT), cloud, cybersecurity, and the convergence of IT and operational technology. Later, I served as global vice president and general manager within Honeywell Industrial Automation, accountable for growth, operational execution and financial performance. What shaped me most was spending time in factories with operators and plant managers who expected technology to improve safety, quality, throughput and cost. In industrial automation, ideas only matter if they deliver measurable impact on a production line. That grounding has stayed with me throughout my career. Today, I lead AI transformation with customers and partners. As a sales leader on the industry side at Microsoft, my focus is on advancing agentic AI, robotics capabilities and autonomous driving technologies across manufacturing and mobility sectors, which have customers and partners with a range of priorities on innovation. I came to Microsoft in 2024 because it combines global scale, a secure cloud platform and advanced AI in a way that can accelerate industry transformation at a pace we have not seen before. I’m privileged and honoured to work with a talented team who thrive on innovating, collaborating and challenging the status quo. How does your background in industrial automation help drive value for Microsoft in manufacturing? My experience allows me to connect strategy to operational execution. At Rockwell Automation and Honeywell, I carried responsibility for margins, delivery and growth. I understand how technology decisions affect both financial outcomes and operational performance. This unlock has been key for my professional development. In my current role, I push our teams and our customers to deliver AI impact through return on investment (ROI) within six months. That means moving quickly from use case prioritisation to tangible results. We focus on AI and cloud capabilities to fuel BY ANDY CLAYTON-SMITH EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW
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