Tech Trends Shaping 2026: What NewCo Sees in Capgemini’s Latest TechnoVision Insights

Paris, December 9, 2025 – Capgemini has released its TechnoVision Top 5 Tech Trends to Watch in 2026, spotlighting the technologies expected to reach a breakthrough moment in the coming year. While AI and generative AI continue to dominate the innovation agenda, their influence is now extending far beyond experimentation, reshaping software development, cloud strategies, and enterprise operations.

For businesses navigating rapid digital transformation, these insights offer a clear message: 2026 will be a defining year for scaling intelligent, resilient, and future-ready systems.

AI Reaches Its “Moment of Truth”

AI has accelerated faster than many organizations can deploy it—resulting in years of pilots that often lacked measurable impact. Capgemini’s analysis suggests that in 2026, businesses will shift toward enterprise-wide AI, grounded in strong data foundations and “Human–AI chemistry.”

This means moving from proof-of-concept to proof-of-impact:

  • AI integrated into core processes
  • Clear governance and trust mechanisms
  • Measurable business outcomes
  • Scalable architectures built for long-term transformation

AI Is Reshaping Software Itself

“Software has eaten the world, and now AI is eating software.”

Capgemini predicts that development cycles will shift from manual coding to intent-driven development, where humans define objectives while AI generates and maintains parts of the software lifecycle. This evolution accelerates delivery but also increases the need for:

  • Strong oversight
  • Governance frameworks
  • Reskilled development teams
  • AI-driven system orchestration

Cloud 3.0: The Backbone of AI

Cloud is entering its next evolution. With AI workloads demanding unprecedented performance and low latency, businesses will turn to hybrid, private, multi-cloud, edge, and sovereign cloud models. Cloud 3.0 is not about choosing a platform—it’s about orchestrating an ecosystem.

Key drivers include:

  • Resilience and redundancy
  • Geopolitical pressures
  • Outages and supply chain risks
  • The need for sovereignty and portability
  • Scaling AI and agentic workloads

The Rise of Intelligent Operations

Enterprise systems are evolving into living, self-improving operational engines. With agentic AI entering the mainstream, businesses can orchestrate entire value chains instead of isolated processes.

This shift enables:

  • End-to-end automation
  • Human–AI co-steering
  • Dynamic workflows across supply chain, finance, HR, and CX
  • Proactive operations instead of reactive ones

Tech Sovereignty: The Borderless Paradox

As geopolitical uncertainty grows, nations and organizations are prioritizing control over critical technologies. Yet full autonomy is impossible—leading to a new paradigm of resilient interdependence.

Emerging developments include:

  • Sovereign cloud solutions
  • Regional AI models
  • Open platforms
  • New chip ecosystems
  • Diversified suppliers and risk mitigation strategies

Accelerating Digital Transformation: How European Businesses Are Adopting Technology in 2024

Digital transformation is no longer optional — it is a fundamental driver of growth, competitiveness, and resilience. For companies across Europe, adopting digital tools means improving products and services, streamlining operations, and expanding reach through channels such as online sales. As businesses navigate an increasingly competitive landscape, the ability to integrate digital technologies is becoming a clear indicator of long-term success.

The EU’s 2030 Digital Ambition

To support Europe’s technological advancement, the European Union has set two strategic goals for 2030:

  • More than 90% of SMEs should reach at least a basic level of digital intensity.
  • 75% of EU companies should be using advanced digital tools, including cloud computing, big data analytics, or artificial intelligence (AI).

These goals reflect the importance of adopting not only standard digital solutions but also more advanced technologies that can drive innovation and competitiveness.

Measuring Progress: The Digital Intensity Index (DII)

To track digital transformation, the Digital Intensity Index (DII) measures the use of 12 key digital technologies by businesses — ranging from AI and cloud computing to digital communication tools and e-commerce.

The index categorizes companies into four levels:

  • 0–3: Very low digital intensity
  • 4–6: Low digital intensity
  • 7–9: High digital intensity
  • 10–12: Very high digital intensity

A company scoring 4 or above is considered to have at least a basic level of digital intensity — meaning it uses a meaningful set of digital tools to support its operations.

EU Results 2024: SMEs Making Progress, But Gaps Remain

In 2024, 74% of EU businesses achieved a basic level of digital intensity — signaling solid progress toward the 2030 targets.
However, the picture changes when comparing SMEs with larger enterprises:

  • 73% of SMEs reached basic digital intensity — still 20 percentage points below the EU’s 2030 goal.
  • 98% of large businesses achieved at least a basic level, with many moving far beyond the minimum threshold.

Large companies significantly outperformed SMEs in advanced adoption:

  • 41% of large enterprises reached very high digital intensity, compared to just 6% of SMEs.
  • Nearly 27% of SMEs reached a high digital intensity level, while most remained in the low (40%) or very low (27%) categories.

This gap demonstrates that while SMEs are progressing, many still lack the resources, skills, or infrastructure to fully leverage digital technologies.

Where SMEs Stand Across the EU

The share of SMEs with a basic level of digital intensity varies widely across Europe:

  • Finland (93%) and Denmark (90%) are leading the way, reflecting strong national support systems and a mature digital ecosystem.
  • At the other end of the spectrum, only 50% of SMEs in Bulgaria and 53% in Greece reach basic digital intensity.

These differences highlight the need for targeted support, investment, and training to ensure a balanced digital transformation across the single market.

What This Means for NewCo and the Businesses We Support

At NewCo, we work with businesses undergoing digital transformation — and the insights from the DII reinforce the challenges many organisations face:

  • SMEs often struggle with limited budgets, lack of digital skills, or fragmented digital strategies.
  • Many have begun adopting basic tools but have not yet transitioned to advanced technologies like AI, cloud, or data analytics.
  • Companies that invest early in digitalisation gain efficiency, flexibility, and a clear competitive advantage.

As digital tools continue to evolve, supporting SMEs in adopting the right technologies is essential — not only to meet EU benchmarks, but to thrive in an innovation-driven economy.

Driving Europe’s Digital Future

The EU’s 2030 goals set an ambitious vision for Europe’s digital transformation. Reaching them will require coordinated efforts — from policymakers, industry players, technology providers, and innovation-driven organisations like NewCo.

By helping businesses integrate digital tools, strengthen their capabilities, and adopt advanced technologies, we can accelerate progress and shape a future where European companies remain competitive on a global scale.