Our 2026 Tech & AI Forecast

2026 is already shaping up to be a pivotal year. While many SMEs spent 2025 experimenting with emergent technologies, groups like the British Chamber of Commerce and the British Business Bank think this is the year we’ll move beyond experimentation, and start the hard work of fully integrating new technology into our workflows.

In other words, 2026 will be the year organisations start embedding AI tools into everyday operations, business decision-making and cybersecurity frameworks to supercharge growth and protect against emergent threats.

Research suggests that 2026 will also be the year that 33% of British businesses embark on digital transformation projects, and that zero-trust architecture becomes the norm. To help you navigate this rapidly-evolving landscape, and ensure that you’re well-placed to leverage new technologies, we’ve produced a detailed forecast of tech and AI trends that will dominate 2026.

We expect to see the majority of businesses moving beyond trials and proofs of concept for a variety of AI tools. At the end of 2025, McKinsey published a comprehensive survey of UK businesses. This survey found that 64% of respondents thought AI was actively driving innovation, but only 31% were actively scaling their use of AI tools. 

This year, that trend is expected to reverse and the overwhelming majority of Scottish SMEs will start embedding AI tools across finance, operations and leadership decision-making. 2026 also marks a shift in the creation of bespoke AI tools, trained on proprietary data and engineered to meet specific business needs. 

Our full forecast goes into detail about the risks and benefits of this trend, the knock-on effect it’ll have on governance and the best way to take advantage of new tools to supercharge your own growth. 

As well as transforming business processes, AI is also reshaping both sides of cybersecurity. The World Economic Forum reports that 94% of security leaders see AI as the top force influencing cyber risk in 2026, and we’re seeing the same trend on the ground.

Cybersecurity developers are using machine learning to detect anomalies and automate responses, while attackers are using AI to scale phishing, reconnaissance and malware development. Traditional, rule-based security models are no longer sufficient.

For SMEs, the challenge is honing in on the right tools, and knowing how to deploy them effectively. 

Cloud adoption is already widespread, with the ONS reporting that 69% of UK organisations use cloud services. But in 2026, success won’t be defined by whether you’ve migrated; it’ll be defined by how well your systems are integrated.

Poorly-aligned digital transformation projects can increase complexity, cost and exposure to risk. Conversely, successful organisations will treat transformation as an ongoing discipline, aligning architecture, data, security and operating models to create a strong foundation for growth. 

Our forecast explores the complexities of digital transformation, and outlines best-practices for moving your own projects forward. 

As hybrid working, cloud platforms and AI agents proliferate, perimeter-based security is no longer fit for purpose. Zero trust strategies - which assume no user or device is inherently trusted - will become the standard in 2026 and that means a seismic shift in the way we architect and implement security across the IT estate. 

Gartner estimates that 63% of UK businesses have already adopted a zero trust strategy. However, effective adoption requires cultural and operational change, not just technical controls. Our full forecast explains how zero trust fits into modern SME environments, and suggests a framework for pragmatic implementation. 

2026 will reward organisations that leverage new technologies in a strategic fashion. AI, cybersecurity and digital transformation are no longer separate conversations; they are rapidly converging into a single challenge that calls on Scottish business owners to prioritise resilience, security and the smart application of cutting-edge technology. 

The businesses that succeed will be those that integrate AI thoughtfully, secure their environments effectively, and govern technology with the same rigour as financial risk.

Download the ITWORX UK 2026 Tech & AI Forecast ebook to explore the trends, risks and strategic decisions that will shape the year ahead, and how Scottish SMEs can prepare with confidence.