Business leaders embrace new technologies to boost competitiveness and tackle today’s biggest challenges

Results of the first Viva Technology & Wavestone barometer conducted by OpinionWay in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States

• Business leaders express solid trust in new technologies, with a trust score of 86/100.
• 96% consider the adoption of new technologies to be crucial to their company's competitiveness
• 72% of them have an opinion that has evolved positively over the course of the year.
• 93% believe that major technological innovations are one of the solutions to today's challenges (combating the climate crisis and its consequences, fighting misinformation, supporting the education system, improving global health…). 
• 63% identify AI as the most promising technology for the future of their business. 
• 85% of companies will be increasing their investment in new technologies over the next 12 months.
• 94% recommend a career in the technology sector.
• French executives have a more mixed overall view of the competitiveness of their country's technology ecosystem, compared to their German, British and American counterparts.

Paris, 6 February 2024 – Viva Technology and Wavestone unveil the first edition of their Barometer of Executive Trust in Tech, conducted by OpinionWay. The survey, conducted between November 2023 and January 2024, polled more than 1,000 business leaders in France, Germany, the UK and the USA, to gather their perceptions of new technologies. Although slightly less optimistic than their American counterparts, European business leaders nonetheless believe in the future growth of their sectors thanks to advances in technology. AI is the survey's big winner, topping the list of technologies most likely to have an impact on the future of business according to executives (63%).

Technology, a vector of confidence to ensure business competitiveness

More than 9 out of 10 executives (96%) consider the integration of new technologies to be a fundamental factor in ensuring their company's competitiveness. American executives see this as particularly essential, especially in terms of productivity and customer relations, while European executives are more reserved. In addition, it is worth noting that 72% of them have an outlook that has evolved positively over the course of 2023.

"This difference can be explained in part by the dynamics of innovation and financing on the other side of the Atlantic, conducive to more apparent successes in the short term,” explains François Bitouzet, Managing Director of Viva Technology. "French and German executives, on the other hand, take a more measured approach to the impact of technology, shaped by their personal experiences. However, despite recent economic challenges, a majority of executives see their perception of new technologies improving over the past year.

Meanwhile, 88% of French people actively encourage their friends and family to consider a career in new technologies

AI, a powerful booster for business

Technology continues to play a leading role in companies, with AI moving front and center, according to 63% of the decision-makers surveyed. In fact, 88% of them intend to invest in AI by 2024.

After AI, the technologies drawing the most attention from executives are Cloud computing (49%) and Cybersecurity (40%).

France is a notable exception, placing Cybersecurity at the top of its list (60% vs. AI at 57%). This may be explained by the fact that 45% of French companies suffered a successfully completed cyber attack in 2022. Although the rate of successful attacks has fallen in recent years, new threats are emerging, notably phishing, which accounts for 74% of attacks incurred. Big data takes third place on the podium with 31%, and Cloud Computing is only fourth (30%).

”Leaders and experts trust technology to solve current and future challenges. AI is valued for its concrete and immediate benefits, standing out from recent technological advances. Confidence in a technology increases when tangible benefits can be expected in key areas such as customer experience or productivity growth.” – Eva Rosilio, Head of Innovation Incubator at Wavestone.

More generally, it is interesting to note that 85% of companies will be increasing their investment in new technologies over the next 12 months.

The talent shortage, a real impediment to growth and innovation

Overall, 82% of respondents believe that domestic companies are internationally competitive in terms of technology, although the French have a harsher self-assessment on the subject (69%).

Nevertheless, agreement is emerging on the main obstacles to companies' technological development, most of which relate to human resources. Investment in skilled talent and research and development are essential to the international success of companies. For 45% of executives, the shortage of talent is an obstacle to innovation and growth.

It's also worth noting that 63% of business leaders feel that governments are taking the right steps to stimulate the national technology ecosystem, an impression particularly strong in the UK (71%). Nevertheless, they expect the authorities to provide a favorable regulatory environment, increased support for research and development, and financing facilities to encourage the technological expansion of home-grown companies.

Technology, a solution to today's major challenges

93% of business leaders see technology as an ally in tackling major human challenges. Specifically, technological progress is expected above all to simplify access to information and combat disinformation (44%); support the challenges facing the educational system (43%); and help combat pandemics and the climate crisis (39% and 37% respectively).

However, for all the good it can do, technological progress is also accompanied by worrying risks, such as the rise of disinformation and new threats to privacy (77% of those surveyed expressed concern). 

In France, more than in other countries, the environmental issues associated with this progress are also a cause for concern: three quarters of French executives are worried, compared to just over half in Germany and the United States. Nevertheless, against this backdrop of uncertainty, business leaders feel confident (92%) and demonstrate a solid understanding of technology and cybersecurity issues (85%), although minor discrepancies remain in France and Germany. 

Download the full report by following this link.

Press contacts

Viva Technology
Publicis Consultants : vivatech@publicisconsultants.com
Viva Technology – Léa Roos : lroos@vivatechnology.com / Inès Vautier : ivautier@vivatechnology.com

Wavestone
Wellcom – Chloé Bencivengo / Bastien Depond / Marie-Charlotte Fauquette : wavestone@wellcom.fr
Wavestone – Mélodie LAUQUE : press@wavestone.com

Methodology
This barometer was carried out between November 2023 and January 2024. It included a quantitative phase, involving a sample of 1,006 managers of private companies with 50 or more employees who are directly involved in decisions relating to the development of their company and who are interested in tech issues. The sample consisted of 322 interviews conducted in France, 258 in Germany, 250 in the United States and 176 in the United Kingdom between 8 and 22 November 2023. The sample was drawn up using the quota method and was weighted according to salary size, business sector and geographical location. A qualitative phase was then carried out with 10 French and international business leaders, to enrich and complete the statistical picture.

About Viva Technology
VivaTech accelerates innovation by connecting startups, tech leaders, major companies and investors responding to our world's biggest challenges. Each year, over four exciting days in Paris, VivaTech creates Europe's biggest technology and startup event, exploring the most disruptive topics in tech with world-premiere demos, launches and conferences in a collaborative ecosystem. This is where business meets innovation. Join us for the eighth edition of VivaTech 22-25 May 2024.
For more information go to our website at https://vivatechnology.com/media or follow us on social media @VivaTech.

About Wavestone
Wavestone, a leading independent consultancy headquartered in France, and Q_PERIOR, a consulting leader in the Germany-Switzerland-Austria region, joined forces in 2023 to become the most trusted partner for critical transformations. Drawing on more than 5,500 employees across Europe, North America and Asia, the firm combines seamlessly first-class sector expertise with a 360° transformation portfolio of high-value consulting services. Wavestone is listed on Euronext Paris and recognized as a Great Place to Work®.

About OpinionWay
Founded in 2000 and a pioneer in the digitalization of research, OpinionWay has been a forerunner in the transformation of marketing and opinion polling. Our mission: to make the world intelligible so that we can act now and imagine tomorrow. 
On the crest of a wave of continuous growth since its creation, the company has never stopped expanding its horizons to better address all marketing and societal issues, both BtoC and BtoB, by integrating social insight, the use of smart data, the creative dynamics of co-construction, community approaches, text mining and storytelling into its methodologies. OpinionWay was awarded two Trophies in recognition of this dynamic innovation at the Trophées Etudes & Innovations 2023: the GOLD Trophy in the 'Consumer Satisfaction/Customer Journey and Experience' category and the SILVER Trophy in the 'Trends and Foresight' category.
The Group operates on five continents, with offices in France (Paris, Bordeaux), North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia), Eastern Europe (Poland) and Sub-Saharan Africa (Côte d'Ivoire). It has 150 employees. An active member of Esomar and Croissance Plus, the Group has also been ISO 20252 certified by AFNOR since 2009. www.opinion-way.com