Kyndryl has entered a multi-year agreement with Wayne State University to establish the IntelliMake research hub and pilot-scale factory within the James and Patricia Anderson College of Engineering. The initiative will co-develop agentic AI manufacturing technologies on campus, host quarterly workshops on AI, cybersecurity and digital twins, and install multiple demonstration pods at the IntelliMake facility. Building on findings from Kyndryl’s 2025 Readiness Report—where 87% of enterprise leaders expect AI to reshape jobs within a year yet only 29% feel prepared—this collaboration will train engineering teams through hands-on projects, showcase real-world customer challenges and demonstrate end-to-end solutions using Kyndryl Bridge for infrastructure monitoring and management. The first phase will feature a modular, autonomous assembly line designed to detect, adapt to and recover from disruptions, target reduction in scrap and rework by up to 20%, and provide real-time quality insights to operators.

In its latest Retail Readiness Report, Kyndryl surveyed 150 global retail executives and found that 48% have significantly upgraded their IT infrastructure and increased AI budgets by 33% over the past 12 months. Despite a $30 trillion global market where over 80% of sales still occur in brick-and-mortar outlets, only 15% of leaders believe their omnichannel systems are fully integrated, with the remainder hampered by fragmented add-ons and manual workflows. Nearly one-third report mission-critical networks and servers at end of service, delaying innovation for 45% of respondents. While 89% expect AI to transform retail roles within 12 months, just 33% express concern about upskilling affected employees. Kyndryl advises clients to prioritize operational fundamentals—inventory precision, SKU rationalization and store-level agility—alongside responsible agentic AI deployments to achieve seamless customer experiences and unlock the projected $10 trillion smart manufacturing opportunity.

These strategic initiatives position Kyndryl at the forefront of enterprise AI adoption and infrastructure modernization. By demonstrating turnkey agentic AI solutions in collaboration with a leading R1 institution and delivering actionable insights to retailers navigating technical debt and system fragmentation, Kyndryl is expanding its advisory and managed services footprint. The company’s ability to integrate digital twins, autonomous orchestration and cybersecurity into mission-critical environments addresses a sizable addressable market in manufacturing and retail. With partnerships spanning more than 60 countries and thousands of enterprise clients, Kyndryl’s investments in talent development, scalable AI frameworks and infrastructure resilience lay the groundwork for sustained contract renewals and incremental service revenues over the next several fiscal years.