Between strategy and scaling: How CIOs are turning data and AI into a key competitive advantage

Data & AI is already a fundamental part of strategic decision-making in most organisations. However, our study, ‘The New Reality for CIOs in 2026’, shows that there remains a significant gap between strategic relevance and operational impact.

Although 94 per cent of companies rate data and AI as important or crucial, many organisations are only achieving a moderate level of maturity in their operational implementation

Embedding data and AI strategically – and making them effective in practice

81 per cent of the companies surveyed have embedded data and AI in their IT strategy, whilst 72 per cent have also incorporated them into their corporate strategy. This is a strong indication of the strategic importance of this area. However, its effectiveness in day-to-day operations often remains limited. Strategic objectives are in place, but are often not yet translated into clear lines of responsibility, governance mechanisms and robust operational models.

Download the report now (in German only)

picture_as_pdf

Whitepaper

The New Reality for CIOs in 2026

Please complete the form below to receive the KPMG publication:

Why many companies get stuck at the pilot project stage

In practice, there is a marked tendency towards pilot projects. 51 per cent of companies have so far implemented their data and AI strategy only in pilot projects. Only a very small proportion have managed to make the transition to fully end-to-end implementation. This makes it clear that it is not ideas that are lacking, but rather the prerequisites for standardisation, reusability and company-wide scaling.

CIO challenges in 2026: Balancing innovation, operations and responsibility

IT faces a twofold challenge here. 82 per cent of companies view the department as a strategic partner and driver of innovation in the context of data and AI. At the same time, it bears key operational responsibilities – from platform operations to the delivery of solutions. This is precisely where conflicting objectives arise: innovation requires speed and freedom, whilst productive operations demand stability, security and clear standards.

Scaling requires structure – not just additional use cases

The study shows that obstacles are rarely due to a lack of technology, but are usually caused by a lack of structural foundations. Whilst many companies rate their platforms as robust – 58 per cent consider them future-proof, and 14 per cent even consider them very future-proof – However, only 46 per cent rate their platform as highly scalable. Where governance, data access, transparency and accountability are lacking, initiatives remain isolated and fail to have a company-wide impact.