As organizations navigate an era defined by economic uncertainty, geopolitical shifts, and relentless technological change, one truth stands out: the future belongs to those who can harness AI, automation, and sovereignty to build resilience, drive innovation, and unlock growth. The theme of this year’s IDC EMEA FutureScape predictions webcast – The Agentic Business Future – is about technology; but also readiness, governance, and a human-centered approach that transforms ambition into measurable business value.
IDC defines the Agentic Business Future as a fundamental transformation of enterprise operations, customer experiences, and business models driven by the widespread adoption of AI agents and agentic workflows. Agentic workflows are processes involving AI agents capable of planning, using tools, perceiving their environment, and remembering past interactions to improve performance. These agents autonomously execute complex tasks, make decisions, and interact in human-like ways, enhancing operational efficiency and decision-making. Unlike traditional AI, agentic AI can collaborate, trigger actions, and adapt dynamically, underpinning new operating models and real-time orchestration across the enterprise.
Our IDC European CIO Xchange Survey (2025) reveals that 85% of EMEA CIOs are already exploring agentic use cases or piloting intelligent agents within isolated departments. The challenge now is to move beyond pilots. Scaling AI means modernizing architectures, consolidating fragmented systems, and enabling data to flow freely – securely and responsibly – across hybrid and sovereign clouds.
Why This Future Matters
IDC’s latest CEO survey reveals what’s keeping leaders awake at night: digital business execution gaps, economic pressures, and geopolitical risks. For EMEA CEOs, driving digital initiatives and leveraging AI for competitive advantage are top priorities. In fact, 50% believe AI will reinvent their business model within the next 3–5 years. Yet ambition alone isn’t enough. Without foundational readiness and robust governance, organizations risk falling short of ROI targets: by 2026, we expect that half of AI-fueled digital use cases will fail to meet ROI expectations.
Five Imperatives for the Agentic Future
- Reimagining Digital Value
Economic headwinds and global instability are forcing organizations to rethink business models and redefine digital business value. Competitive advantage will increasingly hinge on how effectively companies integrate AI into their core strategies – not as a bolt-on, but as a driver of transformation.
- Architecting for Scale
Scaling AI requires more than enthusiasm; it demands modernization and hybrid architectures that overcome tech debt and fragmentation. IDC research shows EMEA IT spending grew 13% in 2025, signaling strong investment momentum. But without a clear architectural vision, these investments risk becoming sunk costs.
- Building Trust Everywhere
Trust is non-negotiable. Governance frameworks, responsible AI, and sovereignty are critical for compliance and risk management. Recent geopolitical shifts have accelerated this trend, with 61% of EMEA organizations favoring sovereign clouds for AI workloads. This isn’t just about regulation — it’s about ensuring resilience in a volatile world.
- Leading Through Change
Technology alone doesn’t deliver transformation; leadership culture and organizational agility do. The AI pivot requires leaders who can embed innovation into the DNA of their organizations, fostering adaptability and collaboration across every layer.
- Empowering the Workforce
The future of work isn’t just automation — it’s augmentation. Three out of four EMEA employees expect their jobs to be impacted by AI by 2026, underscoring the urgency of talent development. Organizations that invest in upskilling and human-machine collaboration will be best positioned for sustainable success.
Find out more
The Agentic Business Future is not a distant vision; it’s unfolding now. But success requires moving beyond hype to measurable outcomes. The organizations that thrive will be those that combine technological ambition with governance, trust, and human-centric leadership.
Join IDC’s senior regional analyst team for FutureScape 2026 webcast on December 3, where we will unpack these imperatives — backed by data, case studies, and practical guidance to help digital leaders design for resilience, agility, and growth in an increasingly complex environment. Register now here.
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