<h3 style="font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal;">In 2026, the Key to Competitiveness is 'Response,' Not 'Prediction'</h3>The 「Business and Technology Trends for 2026」 report published by the IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) redefines enterprise competitiveness centered on AI, organization, customer trust, governance, and quantum technology.Based on surveys from over 1,000 C-suite executives and 8,500 employees/consumers globally, this report focuses not on abstract technological prospects, but on actual shifts in organizational and market perceptions. IBM’s core question is clear: "Can you operate technology in an uncertain environment?"<h3 style="font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal;">Trend 1. Uncertainty is a Strategic Asset, Not a Threat</h3>IBM predicts that economic, geopolitical, supply chain, and regulatory uncertainties will persist through 2026. However, the perspective toward this uncertainty has shifted:<ul class="editorBulletList"><li class="editor_editorListItem__FKzSL">Opportunity: Approximately 74% of executives recognize geopolitical fluctuations as new business opportunities.</li><li class="editor_editorListItem__FKzSL">Real-time Imperative: Over 90% believe that without real-time operations and decision-making, they will lose competitiveness.</li><li class="editor_editorListItem__FKzSL">Core Competency: Success in 2026 will be determined by reaction speed rather than precise forecasting, supported by real-time data operations and AI-driven execution systems.</li></ul><h3 style="font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal;"></h3><h3 style="font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal;">Trend 2. Employees Do Not Fear AI—They Expect It</h3>Many leaders assume employees see AI as a threat, but IBM’s findings show the opposite:<img src="https://d20jzv1ghtxgkk.cloudfront.net/images_temp/1/image-1777012250658.png" width="90%" draggable="true" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 1338px;"><ul class="editorBulletList"><li class="editor_editorListItem__FKzSL">Productivity: 61% of employees respond that AI reduces repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on high-value work.</li><li class="editor_editorListItem__FKzSL">AI as Manager: 48% are comfortable with AI playing a role in managing or coordinating their tasks.</li><li class="editor_editorListItem__FKzSL">The Strategy: The biggest barrier to AI adoption is not the technology, but organizational design. Strategies must prioritize redesigning collaboration, roles, and responsibilities between AI and staff.</li></ul><h3 style="font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal;">Trend 3. Customers Evaluate AI by 'Trust,' Not 'Convenience'</h3>While AI has become a key element of customer experience, it can become a liability without trust.<ul class="editorBulletList"><li class="editor_editorListItem__FKzSL">Risk: Consumers may lose trust in a brand if the use of AI is hidden or managed opaquely.</li><li class="editor_editorListItem__FKzSL">Key Principles: Companies must prioritize clear disclosure of AI usage, "Explainability," transparency in data handling, and guaranteeing customer opt-in choices.</li></ul><h3 style="font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal;">Trend 4. AI Sovereignty and Resilience Define Competitiveness</h3>IBM emphasizes the strategic concept of AI Sovereignty: the ability of an enterprise to control, operate, and govern its own AI systems, data, models, and infrastructure.<ul class="editorBulletList"><li class="editor_editorListItem__FKzSL">Necessity: Over 93% of executives state that AI sovereignty must be included in their 2026 strategy.</li><li class="editor_editorListItem__FKzSL">Why: Due to regional regulatory differences, data sovereignty issues, rising cybersecurity threats, and excessive cloud/AI dependency. Competitiveness will depend on whether you can maintain control over AI during crises.</li></ul><h3 style="font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal;">Trend 5. The Quantum Advantage Competition Has Begun</h3>IBM notes that by 2026, quantum computing could reach 'Quantum Advantage,' outperforming classical computing in specific problem domains.<ul class="editorBulletList"><li class="editor_editorListItem__FKzSL">The Strategic Lesson: The focus isn't just on technical performance. Organizations that are "Quantum-ready" are participating in diverse industrial ecosystems at a rate three times higher than those that are not.</li></ul><h3 style="font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal;">Summary of 2026 Strategic Pillars</h3><table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 50px;"><colgroup><col style="min-width: 25px;"><col style="min-width: 25px;"></colgroup><tbody><tr style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); height: 40px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(249, 249, 249);"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 8px;">Trend</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 8px;">Strategic Significance</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); height: 40px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(249, 249, 249);"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 8px;">Uncertainty</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 8px;">Shift from predictive models to response velocity.</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); height: 40px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(249, 249, 249);"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 8px;">Employees &amp; AI</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 8px;">Design for collaborative structures, not just tool provision.</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); height: 40px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(249, 249, 249);"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 8px;">Customer Trust</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 8px;">Prioritize Explainability and transparency.</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); height: 40px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(249, 249, 249);"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 8px;">AI Sovereignty</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 8px;">Secure capacity for governance and risk management.</td></tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); height: 40px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(249, 249, 249);"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 8px;">Quantum Tech</td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 8px;">Long-term strategy focused on ecosystem participation.</td></tr></tbody></table><hr>Source:<ul class="editorBulletList"><li class="editor_editorListItem__FKzSL"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="ng-star-inserted" href="https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/report/business-trends-2026" style="text-decoration: underline;">IBM Institute for Business Value - Business Trends 2026</a></li><li class="editor_editorListItem__FKzSL"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="ng-star-inserted" href="https://www.ibm.com/downloads/documents/us-en/1443d5df79cf4c92" style="text-decoration: underline;">IBM IBV Report PDF</a></li></ul>

IBM Business Trends 2026: From Prediction to Response

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