Omdia forecasts that by 2027, technology firms will face increased pressure to demonstrate tangible operational gains from AI investments, amid persistent supply chain issues, digital sovereignty pursuits, and the rise of physical AI in connected devices.
Omdia has forecast that technology companies will enter 2027 under sharper pressure to turn years of heavy spending into clear economic and operational gains, as the market moves away from judging innovation purely by what it can do. In a report published on 30 September, the research firm said the next phase of competition will be shaped by four forces: the drive to monetise artificial intelligence, continuing supply chain disruption, digital sovereignty and the rise of “physical AI”.
The clearest change, according to Omdia, is a recalibration of AI from a capital-intensive build-out to a question of measurable return. The firm said its research shows 59% of organisations expect their AI budgets to rise by at least 10% in 2027, but argued that enterprises will increasingly demand evidence of productivity improvements, cost savings and competitive advantage before expanding spending further. That view echoes a broader industry shift identified in Omdia’s recent AI infrastructure work, which has highlighted the growing importance of ROI validation, time-to-value and operational discipline as the sector industrialises.
Omdia also warned that the volatility affecting hardware and infrastructure markets is unlikely to subside quickly. It said technology companies should plan for prolonged disruption rather than assume conditions will revert to the pre-pandemic norm, pointing to continued demand for AI infrastructure, component shortages, geopolitical strain, energy constraints and wider macroeconomic uncertainty. The firm said hardware delays are already affecting 60% of PC channel partners. On digital sovereignty, Omdia said more than 100 countries are pursuing policies to exert greater control over data, infrastructure, AI systems and digital supply chains, but stressed that complete independence is rarely realistic. Instead, organisations will need to decide which capabilities must be kept in house and where external partnerships remain more practical.
The fourth force Omdia identified is “physical AI”, a term it uses for intelligence moving from screens and software into connected devices, machines and built environments. The company linked that trend to advances in edge computing, sensors and connected hardware, and said global humanoid robot shipments are expected to exceed 700,000 units by 2030. As AI takes on a more physical form, Omdia said, businesses will face new issues around governance, safety, liability, integration and trust. “The defining technology story of 2027 will not simply be what comes next, but what happens as the investment and innovation of recent years meets economic and operational reality,” Evan Kirchheimer, Omdia’s chief research officer, said in the release. Omdia said it will continue tracking the four themes through its “Forces Shaping 2027” programme.
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