Companies can compare their AI adoption with peers their size and connect with Indiana resources matched to their areas of need

Indianapolis (October 27, 2026) – Conexus Indiana today launched the Conexus AI Maturity Assessment, an online tool built for Indiana’s small and mid-size advanced manufacturing and logistics companies. After completing the assessment, companies receive a score from 0 to 100 and see how they compare with Indiana companies their size. The assessment shows where each company has the most room to improve, recommends specific next steps to get there and outlines relevant resources to assist.

Small and mid-size companies make up most of Indiana’s manufacturing and logistics industry, but much of the available research on AI adoption reflects national data and the experience of large companies. The Conexus AI Maturity Assessment compares each company with averages drawn from Indiana manufacturing and logistics companies, so a small manufacturer or logistics company is measured against companies of similar size with comparable resources.

When companies finish the assessment, they see their score next to the small- and large- company averages, along with results in three areas: depth of use, commitment and readiness.  Each company receives resources matched to the areas where it has the most room to grow, which can include real examples from the Conexus AI Use Case Catalog, practical how-to guides, Conexus Industry Exchange workshops, statewide IN AI Roadshows and AI training options for employees from Indiana colleges and universities.

“Small and mid-size companies have the most to gain from AI and the most to lose by falling behind,” said Jay Wirts, president and CEO of Conexus Indiana. “They compete with much larger companies for the same customers, usually with smaller teams and tighter budgets, so they can’t afford to guess where to start. The assessment shows them where they stand and where to focus first to improve.”

Alongside the tool, Conexus Indiana released the 2026 Conexus AI Benchmarking Report. The report, which defines small companies as those with fewer than 150 Indiana employees, finds that small companies are experimenting with AI more than large ones (41% vs. 28%) but are less than half as likely to have it running in production or scaling (21% vs. 48%). It also shows that the first step is often smaller, faster and more affordable than companies expect:

  • 57% of the AI projects small companies reported cost less than $25,000 in the first year, even though small companies cite budget as a barrier at twice the rate of large companies (34% vs. 16%).
  • 29% of small-company projects produced a first usable result in under two months.
  • Production scheduling was the most common small-company project, and nearly a third of small-company projects (29%) required no integration with other systems.
  • Among small-company projects that measured productivity impact, a 10 to 25% gain was the most common result.

“In our work with Indiana manufacturers and logistics companies, the ones getting past the pilot stage tend to have a few things in common,” said Justin Crewse, senior director of tech adoption and partnerships at Conexus Indiana. “Someone at the top has made AI a priority, and one person owns it day to day. They start with a single, real operational problem and decide up front what success looks like, so a test that works becomes a system they keep using. None of that takes a big budget. It takes focus.”

The Conexus AI Maturity Assessment is available at https://conexusindiana.com/ai-maturity/assessment. Companies are encouraged to retake the assessment every six to twelve months, or after a major AI project, to track their progress. The 2026 Conexus AI Benchmarking Report is available here.

About Conexus Indiana
Conexus Indiana, a branded initiative of the CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), is dedicated to advancing the Hoosier State’s position as a global leader in advanced manufacturing and logistics. Working closely with industry, academia, and government partners, Conexus Indiana drives workforce development, economic growth, and innovation across the state. For more information, please visit ConexusIndiana.com.