2026 IT Industry Trends
- December 22, 2025
Throughout 2025, the IT industry faced various economic and geopolitical uncertainties. However, despite these challenges, the industry continued to expand, driven by rapid advancements in AI, increased demand for cybersecurity, and growing investment in sustainable technologies.
Moving into 2026, while we expect to see expansion continue, many of these industry uncertainties remain unresolved: global supply chain disruptions continue to place pressures on technology production, while advances in technology and increasing threats to data security see no signs of slowing down.
In such an unpredictable and risky landscape, businesses today are forced to adapt quickly to evolving pressures, and staffing a strong IT team will better position companies to face these challenges.
Below, we outline the different rising 2026 IT trends as we enter the new year and staffing techniques companies can use to prepare their IT team.
2026 IT TRENDS
Resilient Supply Chain Sourcing
Supply chain disruptions have always been a concern for businesses, particularly in the technology sector, where production depends heavily on intertwined global sourcing networks. However, with the current AI boom, demand for the materials needed for AI technology has been rising, and supply chains have been struggling to maintain the necessary production to match this demand.
Throughout 2025, AI chip shortages disrupted supply chain flows and threatened to increase electronics prices. These shortages have extended beyond just AI components, as manufacturers shift production away from standard memory chips to try and meet AI chip demands. As a result, these supply chain issues have spread and are affecting all areas of tech.
We expect these chip shortages to continue to raise problems for technology companies in the coming year. As we approach 2026, AI hardware demand is only increasing and has the potential to stress supply chains further. Organizations should shift their focus from reacting to supply chain disruptions toward proactively redesigning supply chains to avoid these interferences.
Additionally, the United States’ CHIPS Act is working to boost domestic chip production and research. The act includes a 25% federal income tax credit for qualified investments in facilities that manufacture semiconductors or semiconductor manufacturing equipment in the U.S. The U.S. government also agreed in late 2025 to invest $150 million in a lithography startup as an award under the CHIPS Act. These methods should help alleviate some of the supply chain pressures, but organizations can still take further steps to strengthen their resilience against uncertainties.
When preparing for 2026, a diversified and reliable supply chain for tech materials becomes necessary. As such, businesses should look to strategically redesign supply chains by diversifying suppliers and investments in visibility tools.
Additionally, staffing IT teams with skilled individuals who are equipped to analyze and overcome supply chain challenges can help organizations strengthen their supply chains even further. Supply chain-literate professionals who understand global sourcing and compliance are particularly beneficial for companies who are dependent on AI chips and robotics hardware.
Expanding AI Applications
In the past, AI was largely seen within assistive tools that help complete tasks. These applications helped improve individual productivity and worked alongside business’ operations, as opposed to being directly embedded within, meaning human oversight was necessary. However, this started to change in recent years, with AI taking on a more autonomous role within organizations.
Unsurprisingly, AI was a major driver in the tech industry throughout 2025. Generative AI (GenAI) in particular continues to boost business productivity and efficiency, with a current market value of approximately $45 billion. A key shift during has been the rise of Native AI development programs, which offer applications with built-in AI capabilities, enabling improved workflow automation for businesses.
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Contributions from Natalie Pollock