CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, today published the UK findings from its annual Voice of Our Clients research. Drawing on more than 1,800 in-depth interviews worldwide, including 157 in the UK, the study reveals how leaders are rethinking transformation in the face of economic headwinds, disruption and cost pressures.
The 2025 UK analysis shows that executives are doubling down on digitisation and AI investment, despite having to contend with growing cost pressures and talent shortages. Across every sector, UK firms are shifting from strategy and high-level thought to action, transforming their value chains and modernising outdated legacy tech. Furthermore, leaders are trialling new managed-service partnerships, cloud solutions and AI deployment, all in a concerted effort build future resilience and drive growth, despite notable global challenges.
Globally, senior executives all understand the weight of factors outside of their control with two-thirds (67%) feeling growing pressure from changing political, fiscal and regulatory environments. However, this is less pronounced in the UK, where 60% of executives echo this sentiment demonstrating more confidence than their global peers.
Where UK executives also differ to their global contemporaries, is in their concern over the rise of online disinformation, increased polarisation and social divergence. 24% of UK executives cite this concern, compared to 17% globally, indicating an uphill battle against social perception. However, 72% of UK executives note the need to rely on technology and digital acceleration to tackle these challenges head on, reshaping their respective industries.
Legacy tech is hindering UK firms
Only 28% of international organisations say they can innovate fast enough to keep up with digital change. In the UK, a higher 34% feel they can keep pace, reflecting greater aptitude for robust tech adoption comparatively. Ageing IT platforms, however, are a systemic bottleneck, with 63% of UK leaders citing this as a challenge, versus just under half (46%) at a global level.
Almost 70% of executives worldwide are finding it difficult to recruit and retain IT professionals, rising to just over three quarters (76%) for those in the UK overall. Local public sector hiring is especially acute, with 86% of institutions highlighting the challenge to find and recruit IT talent, compared to 65% in the private sector. Despite the talent challenge, two-thirds (67%) of organisations globally and in the UK plan to hold or increase resourcing and capital budgets in 2026.
When planning for the future, global organisations are finding value in managed-service partnerships, legacy-application updates and cloud migration. The UK shows greater reliance on fully managed IT services for applications, 20% compared to 15% globally. From an innovation standpoint, artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer hypothetical. It is being deployed in practice and is already delivering tangible business benefits. UK businesses are slightly lower in terms of progress however, with only 21% having rolled our traditional AI solutions, compared to 35% globally, and only 21% adopting generative AI, compared to 26% globally.
“Despite strong economic headwinds, UK organisations aren’t hitting pause, they’re pushing forward,” said Tara McGeehan, President of CGI in the UK and Australia. “The shift we’re seeing is from experimentation to execution. AI is no longer theoretical. It’s moving into production, and fast. The winners will be those who modernise their foundations now to scale adoption safely and effectively.”
“AI isn’t the only game-changer on the horizon. Technologies like quantum and neuromorphic computing are coming fast, and boards must be ready,” added McGeehan. “Leaders need to create a culture of experimentation and stay alert to the next wave of disruption. The pace of change isn’t slowing, and no one wants to be left playing catch-up.”
For additional global insights from the CGI Voice of Our Clients, as well as industry-specific insights, visit cgi.com/voice-of-our-clients.
About CGI Voice of Our Clients
Each year, CGI leaders around the world conduct in-depth, face-to-face interviews with business and IT executives to gather actionable insights on the trends shaping their enterprises. These conversations explore topics including strategy execution, IT modernization, talent management, cybersecurity, data, AI and cloud maturity, regulation, innovation, and sustainability. The insights inform practical roadmaps and are backed by over 1 million data points collected over five years. Learn more at cgi.com/voice-of-our-clients.
About CGI
Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 93,000 consultants and professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2024 reported revenue is CA$14.68 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com.
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