Business leaders in New Zealand are approaching 2026 with heightened optimism, with 65% anticipating better economic conditions in the year ahead, according to Datacom’s third annual Business Outlook Survey.
The survey, which included 200 senior leaders from organisations with over 100 employees, also found that 82% plan to boost technology investment this year, up from 68% in 2024.
Peter Nelson, managing director of Datacom New Zealand, told Scoop Media that the findings indicate increasing confidence within the business community.
“After a period of uncertainty, leaders are signalling that they’re ready to invest and innovate. This renewed optimism is a positive sign for the economy and for the role technology will play in driving growth,” Nelson said.
Artificial intelligence leads the list of technology opportunities for 2026, highlighted by 51% of respondents.
Data optimisation came next at 40%, followed by automation at 30%.
Notably, 31% of those prioritising AI are focusing on integrating and scaling it across core operations, signalling a move from pilot initiatives to enterprise-wide implementation.
“Organisations are starting to be more strategic about their deployment of AI,” Datacom director of AI Louise Compagnone told Scoop Media. “It’s encouraging to see the conversation shift from ‘if businesses should adopt AI’ to ‘how they can effectively scale it’.”
Despite their optimism, 65% of business leaders still cite economic uncertainty as their primary concern, followed by cybersecurity at 24% and workforce issues at 19%, according to a report from The NZ Herald.
Budget limitations and a shortage of skilled workers were identified as the main obstacles to technology adoption, each noted by roughly 30% of respondents.
In addition, Nelson noted that the shortage of skilled talent poses a major challenge for businesses.
“I can see there will be a huge shortage of engineering talent that is either AI-native or very AI-savvy. We’ve got to make sure we have access to good skills from overseas, as well as developing our own talent here,” he stated.
Moreover, almost half of businesses reported facing a cybersecurity attack over the past year, marking a 13% increase since 2024.
The survey also found that 43% of business leaders feel the government has performed well in supporting local businesses, while 71% believe it needs more time to fulfil its commitments.
Stimulating the economy was identified as the government’s top priority by 82% of respondents, followed by improving public services at 43%.
The survey was carried out in December 2025 by Curia Market Research.