The big picture: While executives globally are contending with economic pressures, UK leaders appear more confident in navigating political and regulatory changes, with 60% citing pressure from these areas compared to 67% of their global peers.

Conversely, UK executives show a higher level of concern over online disinformation and social divergence (24%) than the global average (17%).
Despite these challenges, two-thirds of organizations both in the UK and globally plan to either maintain or increase their resourcing and capital budgets in 2026.

By the numbers: The report highlights several key differences between UK and global business priorities and challenges.

63% of UK leaders identify aging IT platforms as a bottleneck, significantly higher than the 46% global average.
76% of UK executives report difficulty recruiting and retaining IT professionals, compared to just under 70% worldwide. This problem is especially severe in the UK's public sector, where 86% of institutions face hiring challenges.
UK businesses are behind in deploying artificial intelligence, with only 21% having rolled out traditional AI solutions (vs. 35% globally) and 21% adopting generative AI (vs. 26% globally

Zoom in: The lag in AI adoption is particularly notable given the widespread belief in technology as a key driver. While firms are shifting from "strategy and high-level thought to action," the data indicates they are slower to move from experimentation to execution on AI compared to international competitors. This could create a competitive disadvantage as AI becomes more integrated into business operations.

SURVEY: UK Execs Bet on Tech, But Lag in AI Adoption

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