Horváth: Artificial Intelligence becomes the No. 1 strategic priority for companies, but data remains the main obstacle

• Artificial intelligence (AI) has risen to the top of CEOs’ strategic agendas, with investments expected to continue growing through 2027.
• The main barriers to AI implementation are no longer the technology itself, but data quality, data integration, and the lack of the necessary skills.
• The next strategic priorities are: Improving cost structures and profitability; Cybersecurity; Reorganizing organizational structures and processes; Human capital; and Innovation and Research & Development.

Artificial intelligence has become the top strategic priority for executives worldwide, as companies are forced to rethink their competitiveness models amid geopolitical and technological shifts, according to the “CxO Priorities 2026” study conducted by Horváth, the international management consulting firm that has been active in the Romanian market for more than 20 years.

According to the seventh edition of the study, titled “Rethink Competitiveness in the New Economic Reality,” companies are accelerating their investments in AI. However, the success of these investments depends less on selecting the right technology and increasingly on having a strong data foundation and the ability to integrate AI across the entire organization.

AI Tops the Executive Agenda

The study shows that artificial intelligence is the leading strategic priority for business leaders in the coming years. In the services sector, the share of investments allocated to AI is expected to increase by 2.3 percentage points by 2027 compared with 2025, while manufacturing industries are projected to see an increase of 0.3 percentage points. This trend confirms that AI is moving beyond the experimental phase and becoming a strategic investment integrated into companies’ long-term development plans.

According to the study, this shift is also driven by profound changes in the business environment. Executives believe that geopolitical pressures, the restructuring of global supply chains, and the need to reduce external dependencies are forcing companies to rethink their competitive advantages. At the same time, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming how organizations create value and operate.

Following (1) Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, the top strategic priorities are:

1. Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation
2. Improving Cost Structure and Profitability
3. Cybersecurity
4. Reorganizing Organizational Structures and Processes
5. Human Capital
6. Innovation and Research & Development

The Challenge Is No Longer AI—It’s Data

While the appetite for AI investment continues to grow, the study highlights that large-scale AI implementation is being held back by challenges that extend far beyond choosing the right technology.

Among the key obstacles identified by respondents are poor data quality, fragmented information spread across multiple systems, difficulties integrating data, the absence of consistent data governance, and a shortage of the skills required to use AI effectively. Without a solid data foundation and a clear AI strategy, many AI initiatives remain stuck at the pilot stage or deliver only limited business value.

The study concludes that competitive advantage will not belong to the companies investing the most in AI, but rather to those that succeed in transforming data into a strategic asset and building the infrastructure needed to support AI adoption across the organization.

AI Is Reshaping the Digital Transformation Agenda

Beyond investments in artificial intelligence, the study shows that executives continue to prioritize process digitalization, cost optimization, workforce capability development, and strengthening organizational resilience. Increasingly, companies view these priorities as part of an integrated transformation strategy in which AI, data, and process modernization must evolve simultaneously to deliver measurable business outcomes.

“More and more companies are willing to invest in artificial intelligence, but the success of these investments depends on the quality of their data and their ability to integrate it consistently across the organization. Artificial intelligence can create value only when it is built on a solid foundation of data, processes, and governance. Otherwise, even the most advanced technologies risk remaining little more than experiments with no real impact on business performance,” said Maria Boldor, Partner and Managing Director, Horváth Romania.

The findings of the “CxO Priorities 2026” study show that the organizations best positioned to unlock AI’s full potential will not necessarily be those investing the most, but those that successfully combine technology with high-quality data, integrated processes, and a digital architecture capable of supporting transformation at scale.

The study is based on interviews with more than 1,000 executives (CxOs) from 32 countries across Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia. Of the respondents, 36% are CEOs and 30% are CFOs. Participants represent 16 industries, while 43% work for global companies with annual revenues exceeding €1 billion.

About Horváth

Horváth is one of the world’s leading independent international management consulting firms and has maintained a strong presence in the Romanian market since 2005. Founded in Stuttgart in 1981 by Prof. Dr. Péter Horváth, a pioneer of controlling in Germany, the company today employs more than 1,400 professionals worldwide.

Horváth operates offices in Germany (Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, and Stuttgart), Austria, Romania, Switzerland, Hungary, Italy, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States, while serving clients globally. Horváth is also a member of Cordence Worldwide, the leading global alliance of independent management consulting firms, comprising nearly 70 offices in 24 countries across three continents.

In Romania, Horváth has been delivering high-end consulting services for more than 20 years. During this period, its local team has completed more than 600 projects, with a cumulative value exceeding €115 million, serving clients across industries including energy, banking and financial services, courier and logistics, retail and FMCG, pharmaceuticals, the public sector, and many others.