The pace of disruption is accelerating. Technologies once considered experimental are now reaching a tipping point, moving from niche pilots to mainstream adoption at scale. Staying ahead of emerging technologies can determine whether an organization leads the market or lags behind.
We’ve already seen how fast this shift can happen. Just a few years ago, AI-powered copilots, smart factories, and digital twins sounded like distant concepts. Today, they’re reshaping the way companies make decisions, engage with customers, and design new products. The lesson is clear: what feels “early stage” today can become a competitive necessity almost overnight.
This article explores a curated list of emerging technologies that business leaders need on their radar. By examining their applications, opportunities, and risks, we provide a roadmap for executives ready to align innovation with strategy and build resilience in a fast-changing world.
- What is an emerging technology?
- The 6 technologies that will redefine your business in 2026
- Why these 6 emerging technologies can’t be ignored
- Emerging technology strategies: how to prepare for 2026?
What is an emerging technology?
An emerging technology is an innovation that is not yet fully established but is advancing quickly, carrying the potential to reshape industries and redefine business models. These technologies typically begin at the edges—tested in labs, startups, or niche markets—before moving into mainstream adoption.
What defines an emerging technology is not just novelty, but momentum. Venture capital, governments, and large enterprises are investing heavily, betting that these breakthroughs will unlock new markets and competitive advantages. Meanwhile, regulators, investors, and employees are raising expectations and pushing leaders to not only capture opportunities but also manage risks responsibly.
At the same time, emerging technologies don’t just change markets: they change mindsets. They alter how employees work, how customers interact with brands, and how societies think about trust, privacy, and sustainability. Adopting them is as much about cultural readiness as technical capability. Organizations that treat technology as a lever for broader transformation, will be better positioned to turn momentum into lasting impact.
The 6 technologies that will redefine your business in 2026
As 2026 approaches, several emerging technology trends are moving from exploration to execution. Each of these technologies has a different path of maturity, but together they signal a business environment that is becoming more intelligent, interconnected, and sustainability-driven.
Let’s explore the six new and emerging technologies set to shape the next wave of disruption:
1. Artificial Intelligence beyond automation
In just a few years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has shifted from experimental pilots to everyday business reality. Algorithms now streamline back-office processes, chatbots handle millions of customer interactions, and predictive analytics optimize supply chains. These applications proved AI’s value as an efficiency tool and adoption has scaled rapidly.
But the real shift is now happening with Generative AI. Rather than simply automating what exists, generative systems create entirely new outputs drafting marketing content, designing prototypes, writing code, and even discovering molecules in drug research. This is what takes AI beyond automation: it is not just replicating human work, but augmenting creativity, strategy, and innovation at scale.
According to KPMG, 98 % of Global Business Services (GBS) organizations are either already deploying GenAI or plan to within the next 12 months. More than half expect that by 2026 GenAI will extend deeply across functions, transforming everything from customer service to financial planning
But where will Generative AI make its biggest mark on business? Here are some of our guesses:
- Creative acceleration: Automatically generating high-quality content, product ideas, and design prototypes to fast-track innovation.
- Customer ecosystems: Delivering hyper-personalized and dynamic experiences that adapt in real time.
- Workforce augmentation: Acting as AI-driven copilots, helping employees with writing, modeling, coding, and insights generation.
- New value streams: Powering entirely new services and business models that weren’t possible before like AI-generated market simulations or personalized offers at scale.
Generative AI is about amplifying human imagination and unlocking possibilities that were once out of reach. Its real promise lies in turning data into creativity, complexity into clarity, and scale into personalization. By 2026, it will stand not as a tool in the background, but as a force driving innovation, resilience, and growth.
2. Quantum computing enters applied business use
Unlike classical computers, which process information in bits, quantum systems use qubits, allowing them to solve problems at unprecedented speed and scale. This breakthrough opens possibilities in areas where traditional computing simply cannot compete.
Until recently, quantum computing was largely confined to research labs and pilot projects. Today, however, its first real-world applications are emerging.
For example:
- Pharmaceuticals: Quantum simulations are accelerating early-stage drug discovery by modeling molecular interactions more accurately than classical systems.
- Finance: Banks are experimenting with quantum algorithms for portfolio optimization and fraud detection.
- Logistics: Companies are testing quantum models to design more efficient delivery routes and supply chain networks.
Recent research underscores the urgency: a McKinsey report highlights that industries such as automotive, chemicals, and financial services could see value creation worth up to $1.3 trillion by 2035 through quantum adoption. Harvard Business Review also notes that early movers are already forming strategic partnerships with quantum startups to gain a competitive edge.
For executives, the key question is not whether quantum will arrive, but how to prepare for it. Those who invest in readiness today will be better positioned to capture outsized benefits once quantum computing becomes commercially viable.
3. Next-generation cybersecurity and resilience
Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT concern, it has become a boardroom priority. As digital ecosystems expand and businesses adopt more advanced technologies, the scale and sophistication of cyber threats are rising in parallel. The cost of cybercrime is projected to reach $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, making resilience a defining capability for organizations worldwide.
Instead of relying on traditional defenses, next-generation approaches are emerging:
- AI-driven security systems that detect and neutralize threats before they spread.
- Zero-trust architectures ensuring every access request is verified, regardless of location or device.
- Quantum-proof encryption designed to withstand the computing power of future attacks.
Cybersecurity is no longer about firewalls and protocols: it is about trust, resilience, and confidence in a world where disruption is constant. Organizations that see security as a shared commitment to their people, their customers, and their communities will turn it into a source of strength rather than a burden.
4. The Internet of Things (IoT) and connected ecosystems
The Internet of Things (IoT) has evolved from a buzzword into a core enabler of business transformation. At its simplest, IoT refers to networks of physical devices—machines, vehicles, sensors, even everyday objects—that are embedded with software and connectivity so they can collect and exchange data.
This constant flow of real-time information creates a digital layer over the physical world, allowing organizations to see, measure, and respond in ways that were never possible before.
How businesses are using IoT today:
- Manufacturing: Smart sensors monitor equipment in real time to reduce downtime and improve productivity.
- Retail: Connected devices track inventory levels automatically and optimize supply chain logistics.
- Healthcare: Wearables and remote monitoring tools help doctors deliver proactive, personalized care.
Looking ahead, IoT is set to move beyond efficiency and become a driver of strategic insight and innovation.
Integrated with AI, connected ecosystems will enable predictive maintenance, real-time decision-making, and automated responses. They will also enhance customer experience, advance sustainability goals, and improve visibility into supply chains and critical infrastructure.
Rather than being another layer of technology, IoT is becoming the nervous system of modern enterprises. By weaving intelligence into daily operations, it allows organizations to sense, respond, and adapt in real time.
5. Robotics redefining work and industry
If IoT can be thought of as the nervous system of modern enterprises—sensing and transmitting data—then robotics represents the muscles and limbs that act on it.
Robotics is moving far beyond the factory floor. Once limited to assembly lines, robots are now entering warehouses, hospitals, farms, and even customer-facing environments. Powered by advances in AI, sensors, and connectivity, they are beginning to operate with greater autonomy and precision—reshaping how organizations function across industries.
Executives can expect robotics to transform business in three key areas:
- Operational efficiency at scale: Robots are taking over logistics, inventory management, and quality control, freeing human talent for higher-value, creative, and strategic tasks.
- Safety and resilience: In sectors like mining, construction, and healthcare, robots are assuming high-risk roles such as handling hazardous materials or assisting in surgeries, reducing accidents and ensuring continuity during crises.
- New frontiers of customer engagement: Service robots and AI-powered assistants are beginning to deliver personalized experiences in retail, hospitality, and healthcare, bridging the gap between physical and digital interactions.
The economic case is powerful: McKinsey estimates that robotics and related automation technologies could contribute up to $13 trillion in global productivity gains by 2030, with meaningful advances visible well before that milestone.
As machines take on new roles, the true opportunity lies in how organizations reimagine work, unleash creativity, and design business models that thrive in a world where humans and robots collaborate side by side.
6. Green tech and climate-focused innovation
Among the most important emerging technologies shaping business today are those aimed at solving the climate crisis. Green tech is no longer just a niche—it’s technology designed to cut emissions, reduce waste, and make energy cleaner and more efficient. Think renewable storage that makes solar and wind reliable, or bio-based materials that can replace plastics with biodegradable alternatives.
What makes this an emerging technology is not only the innovation itself, but the speed at which it is moving from pilot projects to real business applications. Climate-focused innovation goes even further, reimagining how companies operate: from supply chains that minimize waste to circular product lifecycles where outputs become new inputs.
This shift is also being accelerated by ESG regulations: rules and standards that require companies to disclose how they perform on environmental, social, and governance issues. These frameworks are designed to increase transparency for investors, regulators, and consumers, making sustainability not just a moral choice but a legal and financial obligation.
As ESG regulations tighten, these technologies are becoming central to business strategy. For example:
- In the EU, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) now requires more than 50,000 companies to disclose detailed climate impacts.
- The U.S. SEC’s proposed climate disclosure rules would force listed companies to report greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related risks.
- Across Asia, countries such as Singapore and Japan are adopting stricter emissions reporting standards to stay aligned with global frameworks.
Where green tech is gaining ground:
- Renewable energy storage: Making solar and wind power more reliable and cost-competitive.
- Carbon capture and utilization: Moving from pilots to large-scale deployment, reducing industrial emissions.
- Precision agriculture: Using AI and IoT to lower water and fertilizer use while boosting crop yields.
- Bio-based and circular materials: Replacing traditional plastics and enabling new sustainable product lifecycles.
Organizations that integrate green technologies while meeting ESG requirements are not just reducing their footprint—they are opening new markets, unlocking new revenue streams, and strengthening stakeholder trust.
Why these 6 emerging technologies can’t be ignored
For senior executives, the debate is no longer if these technologies matter, but how quickly and strategically to act. Each of the six we’ve highlighted represents more than incremental progress—they signal structural change across industries.
They reshape entire industries
Generative AI is reinventing how companies innovate, while robotics and IoT are transforming the way value chains operate. Quantum computing is opening new frontiers in R&D, and green tech is forcing industries from energy to consumer goods to redesign core processes.
They define competitive advantage
Early adopters will use these technologies to build resilience, efficiency, and entirely new revenue streams. Whether through AI-powered decision-making, blockchain-enabled supply chains, or climate-focused innovations, the gap between innovators and laggards will widen quickly.
They go beyond hype
Unlike earlier waves of buzzwords, these are emerging technology trends with working pilots, regulatory momentum, and clear ROI—from banks optimizing portfolios with quantum algorithms to manufacturers cutting downtime through IoT-enabled robotics.
Emerging technology strategies: how to prepare for 2026?
Without the right culture, talent, and risk management in place, even the most advanced technologies cannot deliver impact.
IMD’s Leading Digital and AI Transformation program addresses these challenges head-on. It equips executives with:
- Frameworks to evaluate opportunities, prioritize investments, and scale digital initiatives responsibly.
- Tools to manage risks across cybersecurity, regulation, and ethics.
- Case studies that reveal why some transformations succeed while others fail.
- Peer insights from global leaders who are navigating similar pressures.
By combining research, practice, and collaboration, the program gives leaders the clarity and confidence to simplify complexity, embed digital and AI into governance and culture, and turn disruption into opportunity for long-term growth.
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