What is Planetary Industry?
Planetary Industry (PI) is a passive production system in EVE Online. Each character can colonize up to 6 planets simultaneously (with the skill "Interplanetary Consolidation V"). These planets extract raw materials and process them into higher-tier products.
The PI tier system has 5 levels:
- P0 — Raw Materials directly from the planet (e.g. Aqueous Liquids, Carbon Compounds)
- P1 — Basic Commodities (e.g. Water, Bacteria)
- P2 — Refined Commodities (e.g. Consumer Electronics, Coolant)
- P3 — Specialized Commodities (e.g. Robotics, Synthetic Synapses)
- P4 — Advanced Commodities (e.g. Wetware Mainframe, Broadcast Node)
The higher the tier, the more complex the production — and the higher the margin.
Which P4 products pay off in 2026?
The four P4 products differ significantly in demand and margin. Typical values (Jita, April 2026):
| P4 Product | Jita Sell | Raw Material Cost | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wetware Mainframe | ~1.3M | ~780K | ~40% |
| Broadcast Node | ~1.1M | ~720K | ~34% |
| Self-Harmonizing Power Core | ~1.2M | ~790K | ~34% |
| Sterile Conduits | ~1.0M | ~650K | ~35% |
Prices fluctuate with industry demand. Wetware Mainframes and Broadcast Nodes have permanently high demand because they're needed for T2 production and citadels.
Optimal planet combination for 4 planets
For maximum P4 production you need the right input materials. A proven 4-planet setup:
| Planet | Type | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Planet 1 | Lava | Raw extraction (Heavy Metals, Non-CS Crystals) |
| Planet 2 | Barren | P1/P2 processing (Mechanical Parts, Consumer Electronics) |
| Planet 3 | Temperate | Raw extraction + P1 (Water, Biomass) |
| Planet 4 | Oceanic | Pure factory colony (P3 → P4) |
This combination covers all required P0 raw materials for a complete P4 item. The key is that not every planet has to do everything — logistics between planets is normal.
Realistic profit horizon
With 4 well-configured planets and weekly maintenance (resetting extractors, emptying launchpads), 200 to 500 million ISK per month is realistic — per character. With 3 alts all running PI, that's 600M to 1.5B ISK/month passive income.
Main workload: moving raw materials from extraction planet to factory colony. An Epithal (67,500 m³ PI cargo) is worth the investment.
Conclusion
PI isn't the most profitable business in EVE — but one of the most stable. With the right setup, 200-500M ISK per month per character is realistic. The PI Planner in EVE Industry Tool handles logistics planning and warns you about bottlenecks.