Tech Trends 2026 report highlights AI, resilience and transformation

Info-Tech Research Group released its Tech Trends 2026 report, identifying how geopolitical instability, artificial intelligence and rapid technological change are reshaping how organizations build technology foundations and lead transformation.

The global IT research and advisory firm says its annual report shows that technology leaders are increasingly acting as connectors of strategy, innovation and risk, as advances in agentic AI, quantum computing and adaptive sensing accelerate.

“2026 will mark a decisive shift in how IT leaders define success as they continue moving from operational efficiency to strategic foresight and measurable transformation,” said Brian Jackson, principal research director and lead author of the report. “As global uncertainty intensifies and automation gains agency, IT leaders will need to move beyond managing disruption to orchestrating resilience and exponential value creation. The future belongs to those who can make the leap from now to next.”

Drawing on survey responses from more than 700 IT decision-makers worldwide, Info-Tech’s report groups eight major technology trends under three key themes: adapting to global uncertainty, guiding intelligent automation and enabling exponential IT growth.

Among the trends, organizations are expected to move toward diversified, resilient supply chain models and integrated risk management approaches, while investing heavily in AI and smart sensing technologies. The report notes that innovators, representing the most advanced IT departments, are leading in areas such as multi-agent orchestration, federated data governance and purpose-built infrastructure.

AI is also reshaping cybersecurity, with 47 per cent of advanced organizations planning major AI-focused security investments by the end of 2026. Meanwhile, a growing shift toward outcome-based “Service as Software” models signals a fundamental change in how companies measure IT value.

“Technology is only half the story,” Jackson added. “True transformation depends on leadership’s ability to integrate foresight, governance and innovation into every capability.”

Case studies in the report highlight how companies such as TSMC, Bell Canada and Deutsche Telekom are tackling challenges related to supply chain resilience and AI sovereignty.

Info-Tech’s Tech Trends 2026 report offers insights and guidance for CIOs and technology leaders as they navigate uncertainty and prepare their organizations for sustained growth in the years ahead.

Visit here for the full report.