Omdia has identified four forces it expects to shape the technology industry in 2027 as companies face increasing pressure to turn years of investment and innovation into measurable business value. The research firm said the focus is shifting from what technology can do to what it can deliver economically, operationally, and competitively.
The four forces identified in Omdia’s Forces Shaping 2027 research are:
- AI: Rebalancing From Investment to Monetization: The AI race will continue, but companies will increasingly measure investments by return on investment and productivity gains. Omdia said 59% of organizations expect their AI budgets to increase by at least 10% in 2027.
- Supply Chain: Crisis Is the “New Normal”: AI infrastructure demand, component constraints, geopolitical pressures, energy requirements, and economic uncertainty are expected to keep supply chains volatile. Hardware delays are already affecting 60% of PC channel partners, according to Omdia.
- Digital Sovereignty: Independence Comes at a Cost: More than 100 countries are pursuing digital sovereignty initiatives involving data, infrastructure, AI and digital supply chains. Omdia said organizations will increasingly have to determine which technologies and resources they need to control directly and where partnerships remain necessary.
- Physical AI: Intelligence Escapes the Screen: AI is moving into physical environments through advances in edge computing, sensors and connected hardware. Omdia expects global humanoid robot shipments alone to exceed 700,000 units by 2030, while applications also expand into vehicles, buildings, energy infrastructure, workplaces and connected consumer environments.
Omdia Chief Research Officer Evan Kirchheimer said the coming year will be defined by how recent technology investment meets economic and operational realities.
“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,” Kirchheimer said. “AI needs to demonstrate returns. Supply chain disruption needs to be planned for rather than waited out. The perceived imperative of digital sovereignty brings difficult choices around cost and access. And as AI moves into the physical world, businesses face an entirely new set of opportunities and responsibilities.”
Kirchheimer added that the four forces are increasingly interconnected, meaning decisions in one area can affect technology investment and competition elsewhere.
Omdia’s Forces Shaping 2027 program will track the four trends throughout the year through its research and analysis. The program launches with an e-book covering each force and the research behind it.
About Omida
Omdia, part of TechTarget, Inc. d/b/a Informa TechTarget (Nasdaq: TTGT), is a technology research and advisory group. Our deep knowledge of tech markets, grounded in real conversations with industry leaders and hundreds of thousands of data points, makes our market intelligence our clients’ strategic advantage. From R&D to ROI, we identify the greatest opportunities and move the industry forward.
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