Virtual Sensors Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Virtual Sensors Market is projected to expand from a valuation of USD 13.63 Billion in 2025 to USD 18.75 Billion by 2031, achieving a CAGR of 5.46%. Also known as soft sensors, these algorithmic software solutions estimate process variables by applying mathematical models to data from existing physical instrumentation rather than relying on direct measurement. Key factors propelling this growth include substantial savings on hardware procurement costs and increasing requirements for predictive maintenance to avert system failures. Furthermore, the incorporation of the Industrial Internet of Things is hastening the uptake of these solutions, enabling operators to track parameters in settings where maintaining physical sensors is either impractical or prohibitively expensive.

Data from the Manufacturing Leadership Council indicates that in 2025, 89% of manufacturers intended to sustain or boost their investments in smart factories, signaling a continued flow of capital toward digital diagnostic technologies. Despite this favorable outlook, the market faces a significant hurdle related to the intricacies of model development, as maintaining consistent accuracy within dynamic industrial environments demands specialized skills and regular recalibration to avoid data drift.

Market Drivers

The escalating need for predictive maintenance and condition monitoring serves as a major impetus for the Global Virtual Sensors Market, prompting industrial operators to substitute costly physical instrumentation with algorithmic alternatives to minimize downtime. Utilizing machine learning to deduce unmeasurable process variables, virtual sensors are becoming indispensable for efficient asset management. A May 2025 report by MaintainX, titled 'State of Industrial Maintenance 2025', reveals that 65% of organizations plan to deploy AI-driven maintenance solutions by 2026, marking a clear pivot toward software-defined reliability strategies. This shift enables manufacturers to implement precise, data-centric monitoring tools that avert failures without the logistical complexities and costs associated with installing hardware throughout extensive facility networks.

Concurrently, the spread of Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing initiatives is broadening the infrastructure necessary for soft sensor deployment. As factories undergo digitization, integrating artificial intelligence into control systems facilitates the real-time creation of virtual data points without requiring extra hardware. According to the '10th Annual State of Smart Manufacturing Report' published by Rockwell Automation in June 2025, 95% of manufacturers have either invested in or intend to invest in AI and machine learning technologies within the next five years, fostering a supportive environment for virtual sensing adoption. This digital evolution also aligns with wider environmental objectives; IFS reported in 2025 that 97% of manufacturers have prioritized sustainability, thereby driving the utilization of virtual sensors for accurate, non-invasive energy and emissions tracking.

Market Challenges

The inherent complexity involved in developing models constitutes a significant obstacle to the growth of the Global Virtual Sensors Market. In contrast to physical instrumentation, virtual sensors depend on sophisticated algorithms that require strict validation and regular recalibration to sustain accuracy within changing environments. This reliance on continuous technical supervision elevates the total cost of ownership, obliging manufacturers to allocate considerable resources to prevent data drift. As a result, the operational demands of maintaining these models often negate the initial savings on hardware, leading to hesitation among potential adopters who lack extensive technical resources.

Furthermore, the integration of these tools is impeded by a severe scarcity of the specialized talent needed to support them. Creating reliable soft sensors requires a specific combination of process engineering and data science expertise, which is currently difficult to find. The National Association of Manufacturers noted that in 2024, there was a 75 percent surge in demand for simulation and simulation software skills essential for these digital technologies. This distinct skills gap restricts the capacity of industrial operators to effectively expand their virtual sensor deployments.

Market Trends

The growing incorporation of virtual sensors into digital twin models is significantly transforming market strategies, enabling operators to use these algorithms for simulating physical assets and generating data for parameters that are otherwise unmeasurable. By integrating soft sensors into wider simulation ecosystems, manufacturers can construct holistic virtual replicas that fill data voids and improve diagnostic accuracy without the need for additional hardware. This structural evolution is supported by substantial financial commitment; the 'State of the Industrial Metaverse' report by Siemens in November 2024 notes that 62% of global companies have boosted their investment in industrial metaverse technologies, indicating a firm dedication to the digital twin frameworks that underpin advanced virtual sensing.

At the same time, the merging of virtual sensing algorithms with edge computing architectures is facilitating real-time data estimation with significantly lowered latency and bandwidth reliance. Moving from centralized cloud processing to edge-native execution permits industrial systems to instantly process complex non-linear variables, a capability essential for closed-loop control applications in remote or bandwidth-limited settings. This shift toward decentralized intelligence is gaining momentum; according to the '2024 Industrial Networking Report' by IEB Media in January 2025, 31% of manufacturing firms listed AI-enabled devices as their primary investment priority, underscoring the increasing infrastructural need for hosting advanced edge-based sensing models.

Key Players Profiled in the Virtual Sensors Market

• Siemens AG
• Schneider Electric SE
• General Electric Company
• Honeywell International Inc.
• ABB Ltd.
• Rockwell Automation Inc.
• Emerson Electric Co
• Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Elliptic Labs A/S
• Aspen Technology, Inc.

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Virtual Sensors Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Virtual Sensors Market, by Component:

• Solution
• Services

Virtual Sensors Market, by Deployment:

• Cloud
• On-Premises

Virtual Sensors Market, by End-User:

• Oil & Gas
• Manufacturing & Utilities
• Consumer Technology
• Automotive
• Aerospace & Defence
• Healthcare
• Chemical
• Others

Virtual Sensors Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Virtual Sensors Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

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