How to future-proof industrial real estate: 5 actions for Asset Managers

Begin with a clear assessment. Assumptions are not a substitute for insight. Conduct a comprehensive audit of your asset’s digital infrastructure. This includes verifying the presence of diverse and redundant internet connections, ensuring reliable mobile coverage across all operational areas (not just offices), and assessing whether current systems can support emerging technologies like edge computing and AI-enabled automation.

Our WiredScore certification process provides structured audit tools that benchmark layout, service diversity, and resilience. This methodology helps asset owners uncover weaknesses before they become operational risks. Our research found that 82% of industrial occupiers adopted new technology last year to improve operational efficiency. This points to a growing expectation among tenants: infrastructure must actively support performance. By assessing your current systems and setting a clear strategy for tech-readiness, you can position your assets to meet those expectations and stand out in a competitive market.

Action today: Map existing systems, identify single points of failure, and collaborate with your facilities team or a digital infrastructure consultant to assess readiness.

Connectivity is now a fundamental part of operational continuity in industrial assets. Occupiers increasingly view it alongside power and water as essential for keeping their operations running smoothly. Yet many facilities still fall behind. We often encounter buildings served by only one internet service provider, with no redundancy in place, or plagued by weak mobile coverage in warehouse and loading zones. In some cases, telecom spaces are designed as an afterthought, limiting scalability and creating future retrofit costs.

These oversights have tangible consequences: slower processes, unplanned outages, and lost productivity. The impact on value is just as real. In our research, 83% of occupiers expect high-speed fiber in any modern facility, 67% require backup internet connections, and nearly half expect strong 5G coverage. Without these capabilities, an asset may fail to attract high-value tenants who rely on connected systems for their daily operations.

Connectivity planning should be part of every refurbishment, expansion, or new-build project. That means designing in diverse internet pathways, placing telecom rooms strategically for access and growth, and ensuring coverage reaches every operational area, from offices to storage bays. Resilience, redundancy, and reach should be non-negotiable design considerations, not retrofits.

Action today: Prepare your buildings to support multiple ISPs, ensure seamless mobile coverage throughout the site, and design telecom spaces with the capacity to accommodate future tenant requirements.

In our research, four out of five occupiers cited improving operational efficiency as a primary driver behind new tech investments made in the past year. Whether it’s streamlining workflows, automating manual tasks, or improving inventory accuracy, the focus is clear: technology is expected to make operations faster, leaner, and more reliable.

However, achieving these performance gains depend on the right infrastructure being in place. Tenants expect more than just a connection, they’re looking for high-speed fiber, backup internet pathways, smart building features, and secure, resilient networks. According to our data, 83% of occupiers expect fiber connectivity, 67% want redundancy built in, and nearly half now consider cybersecurity and 5G coverage essential to their daily operations.

Infrastructure that can’t keep pace with these demands puts occupiers at risk of inefficiencies and limits the potential return on their tech investments. Asset owners who invest in foundational systems that support high-performance use cases are better positioned to attract and retain forward-looking tenants.

Action today: Collaborate with tenants to understand their operational pain points and digital priorities. Use that insight to assess whether your building can support performance-critical technologies both now and in the near future.

One of the biggest challenges occupiers face today is the integration of new technologies into legacy systems. In our research, 74% reported that their existing infrastructure made this process difficult. This friction highlights a growing risk: rigid environments are becoming a liability as digital transformation accelerates across the sector.

Occupiers are not just experimenting with emerging technologies—they’re committing to them. Every occupier surveyed has already invested in, or plans to implement, tracking and sensor solutions. Cloud platforms are close behind at 99%. Adoption of IoT for inventory scanning and predictive maintenance is climbing, with 84% engaged. Meanwhile, 83.9% are moving ahead with automation and robotics, and 81% are investing in artificial intelligence and machine learning.

These plans point to a future where connected systems, automation, and data-driven intelligence are standard. Without infrastructure designed to scale, adapt, and support this level of complexity, buildings will fail to meet market expectations and risk becoming obsolete.

Action today: Prioritize flexible, scalable infrastructure. That means structured cabling, adaptable layouts, surplus capacity, and readiness for both wired and wireless deployments. A building that supports what tenants need today—and what they’ll need next—is far better positioned for long-term performance and value retention.

Tenants are becoming more selective, with decision-making criteria that extend far beyond square footage. What matters most is how effectively a space supports day-to-day operations and long-term growth. For many occupiers, robust digital infrastructure has become a baseline requirement.

Half of the occupiers we surveyed are prepared to pay up to 10% more for spaces that deliver high-performance digital capabilities. They’re prioritizing infrastructure that guarantees continuity, supports innovation, and mitigates risk. This includes high-speed fiber, reliable mobile coverage, cybersecurity protections, and systems capable of enabling automation and real-time energy tracking.

Action today: Direct capital improvement strategies toward digital infrastructure upgrades. WiredScore Certification provides a tangible way to demonstrate quality and build market trust.