Top strategic technology trends for 2026

AI is accelerating the pace of innovation, opening new opportunities for users, says Gartner Inc

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Technology leaders face a pivotal year in 2026, where disruption, innovation and risk are expanding at unprecedented speed. The top strategic technology trends identified for 2026 are tightly interwoven and reflect the realities of an AI-powered, hyperconnected world where organisations must drive responsible innovation, operational excellence and digital trust.

"These trends represent more than technology shifts; they're catalysts for business transformation," says Tori Paulman, VP analyst at Gartner Inc.

"What feels different this year is the pace. We've seen more innovations emerge in a single year than ever before. Because the next wave of innovation isn't years away, organisations that act now will not only weather volatility but shape their industries for decades to come."

The top strategic technology trends for 2026 are:

AI supercomputing platforms: These platforms integrate CPUs, GPUs, AI ASICs, neuromorphic and alternative computing paradigms, enabling organisations to orchestrate complex workloads while unlocking new levels of performance, efficiency and innovation. These systems combine powerful processors, massive memory, specialised hardware and orchestration software to tackle data-intensive workloads in areas like machine learning, simulation and analytics.

By 2028, Gartner predicts that over 40% of leading enterprises will have adopted hybrid computing paradigm architectures into critical business workflows, up from the current eight percent.