C-suite barometer 2026: energy & infrastructure sector highlights

• 44of energy and infrastructure leaders say AI will have the biggest impact on the success of their transformation
• 85are confident their organisation can manage tariff-driven costs
• 82plan to expand to at least one new country in the next five years

Over the past few years, this sector has been hit with one disruption after another, forcing leaders to rethink how energy is produced, priced and delivered. Despite economic uncertainty, fiercer competition and ongoing geopolitical turbulence, leaders persist in powering through. The one noticeable shift this year, and in comparison to most other sectors, is the dip in investment compared to last year. Do not mistake this as hesitation – it’s strategy.

After several years of heavy spending to stabilise operations, accelerate tech transformation and shore up supply chains, leaders are now becoming more selective. Tighter capital markets, higher financing costs and ongoing volatility mean businesses are channelling investment into fewer, but more targeted, essential areas that will deliver the clearest returns.

The impact? Companies taking this approach are prioritising adaptability over expansion for expansion’s sake, and it’s paying off. Four in five organisations still grew their revenues, matching last year’s performance, and an impressive 91% of executives in the sector confirm a positive growth outlook for the year ahead. That optimism comes from knowing they can pivot quickly, protect margins and invest where it matters most.

Other sectors could take note. energy & infrastructure sector leaders aren’t letting disruption dictate their direction. Instead, they’re using it as fuel for whatever comes next alongside one crucial component to aid their transformation – technology.

Transformation through technology is tied with restructuring and cost reduction as the leading strategic priorities for 2026, but leaders clearly see the need for people as essential to their success and opportunities to adapt. New or revised talent strategies and reviewing supply‑chains for optimisation are also tied as the second priorities topping the sector’s agenda.

Artificial intelligence (alongside economic trends) is exerting the greatest external impact on the sector and its organisational impact is deepening. Although the proportion of leaders who say AI is having a major business impact has dipped slightly from 2025, three‑quarters of companies have already restructured to incorporate AI. The technology is creating new roles at a faster pace than it removes them and adoption is expanding across creativity, customer experience and decision‑making functions. Despite strong momentum, ethical concerns remain and could cause future pressures if not addressed now. We can see through the decline, year-on-year, of those expressing major ethical concerns in the technology that businesses are either accepting these are par for the course, or there is greater familiarity with the responsible use that should come with the territory.

International expansion also remains a powerful growth lever. More than four in five companies have expansion plans for 2026, with Canada, France and Germany emerging as top destinations. Yet geopolitical instability is tipping the scales – while 37% of companies are adding new countries to expansion plans, 41% are scaling back or cancelling plans entirely.

The overall picture for 2026 is one of determined adaptation. Energy and infrastructure organisations are accelerating tech and AI transformation, tightening cost structures and carefully expanding into new markets. For leaders, the focus is increasingly on building resilience, modernising capabilities and making strategic choices that secure their competitive edge in an unpredictable landscape.

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