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EY CGI article series

How commercial, growth and innovation fits in

Strategic M&A can do more than expand portfolios. Guided by CGI, it accelerates growth, sharpens differentiation and creates lasting value.


In brief
  • Industrial companies drive growth through strategic M&A, active portfolio management and AI-driven innovation to stay competitive and meet evolving customer needs.
  • By aligning disciplined portfolio reviews with customer-centric CGI and AI insights, manufacturers enable faster market entry, stronger returns and long-term resilience.

This article is part of a seven‑piece series exploring commercial, growth and innovation (CGI) and the strategies reshaping performance.

The industrial sector has experienced substantial transformation over the past three to four years, and the pace will only accelerate in the next five. Advancements in technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital services, combined with the pressure to address unmet customer demands, are reshaping the competitive landscape. In fact, the September 2025 EY-Parthenon CEO Outlook Survey found that 52% of industrials and energy CEOs plan to increase their investment to accelerate portfolio transformation, signaling a strong commitment to agility and growth.

For industrial manufacturing organizations, innovation remains at the top of the growth agenda. But innovation at scale requires more than incremental change. It requires the speed, capabilities and market reach that mergers and acquisitions (M&A) can provide. 

M&A as a growth accelerator

Strategic M&A and active portfolio management are among the most powerful levers industrial companies can use to drive success and grow and expand their revenue streams. The benefits are clear:

The role of active portfolio management

The first step in realizing M&A’s full potential is active portfolio management. Companies must constantly evaluate what to buy, what to sell and how to allocate capital for the maximum impact. This means aligning portfolio decisions with both investor priorities and customer expectations.

 

Active portfolio management helps companies:
 

  • Access more customers by acquiring complementary businesses to expand the reach.
  • Enter new end markets by determining what products or services to scale in new geographies or industries (e.g., data centers).
  • Differentiate product positioning by reshaping the operating model to stand apart from competitors.
  • Simplify the portfolio to create a more strategic investor thesis.


Consider clients that serve highly diverse end markets such as automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), airlines and packaging. These companies often face complexity in articulating a clear investor thesis. M&A and portfolio management can provide clarity on where to focus, how to deploy capital and how to complement organic initiatives with inorganic moves that accelerate growth.

How commercial, growth and innovation fits in

Commercial, growth and innovation (CGI) complements strategic M&A by embedding customer centricity and innovation into the integration process. CGI helps companies:

  • Link portfolio decisions directly to customer needs.
  • Apply AI-powered analytics and the neurosymbolic AI growth platform to identify emerging opportunities and unmet demands.

  • Drive commercial excellence and profitable growth at scale.

The industrial sector’s future will be shaped by technology, services and new ways of meeting customer expectations. AI advancements are increasingly shaping the growth agenda, uncovering hidden value and guiding decisions on pricing, portfolio optimization and new ventures.

Leaders can define the next era of transformative growth by pairing active portfolio management with strategic M&A. In aligning those moves with CGI’s customer-obsessed approach, leaders can not only keep pace with disruption but set the standard for innovation and growth.

Light the path ahead to transformative growth

With commercial, growth and innovation (CGI), industrial manufacturing companies shift from product-centric to customer-obsessed strategies — unlocking commercial excellence, AI-powered innovation and immersive experiences that drive sustainable, transformative growth.

Summary 

To stay competitive, manufacturers are accelerating investment in strategic M&A and active portfolio management, using acquisitions to gain speed to market, strengthen differentiation and enhance customer experience. M&A delivers higher shareholder returns and helps balance organic and inorganic growth strategies. When integrated with CGI’s customer centric, AI powered approach, companies can link portfolio decisions to market needs, unlock new growth pathways and shape the next era of industrial innovation.

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