Davos 2025: Key priorities and truths for CIOs

Davos 2025 was a blend of optimism and urgency. One data point presented at the event showed that 62% of business leaders from large organizations expressed confidence in their growth prospects (Capgemini Research Institute). However, they also recognized the need for bold actions to achieve sustainable success. Key priorities such as cost control, supply chain resilience, and customer experience were at the forefront of discussions. For CIOs, the message was clear: Efficiency, future-ready technology, and innovative workforce strategies are essential.

Cost reduction: The balancing act

Cost control remains a critical focus for CIOs in 2025. A Davos presentation highlighted that 56% of organizations are prioritizing expenditure reduction over revenue growth in 2025 (Capgemini Research Institute). CIOs must balance cost cutting with strategic investments.

Our take: CIOs must focus on smart spending rather than indiscriminate budget slashing. Investing in automation technologies can significantly reduce waste and downtime. Modernizing infrastructure will cut down on repairs, outages, and energy costs. Accelerating digital transformation is essential to optimize business processes, and reducing technology debt will enhance agility and efficiency. (See also: 10 IT budgeting mistakes to avoid.)

Supply chain resilience and sustainability

The fragility of global supply chains has been a major concern, making resilience and sustainability top priorities. Sixty-two percent of business leaders reported in a Capgemini Research Institute survey that they plan to boost sustainability investments.

Our take: Building resilient and sustainable supply chains is crucial. CIOs should drive technology-enabled sustainability initiatives, such as green logistics , ensuring supply chain visibility and security will help meet regulatory requirements and improve brand reputation and market growth. They should also implement AI-powered predictive analytics for better decision-making. (See also: The top 15 supply chain management certifications.)

Customer experience (CX) imperative

Customer expectations are evolving rapidly, and meeting them is crucial for competitive advantage. Seventy-eight percent of business leaders reported in a Capgemini Research Institute survey that they are increasing CX investments.

Our take: CX investments are paramount. CIOs should enhance AI-driven customer engagement through hyper-personalization and leverage data analytics to improve customer journeys and boost brand loyalty and revenue growth. Investing in automation to streamline service delivery and prioritizing CX technologies will help maintain industry leadership.

U.S. vs. Europe tech investment disparity

One of the stark realities highlighted at Davos 2025 is the growing disparity in technology investments between the U.S. and Europe. U.S. enterprises are set to outspend their European counterparts significantly, according to research from Capgemini Research Institute. Large U.S. enterprises will allocate 1.45% of their annual revenue to technology, compared with 1.29% in Europe. For midsize enterprises, the gap is even wider, with the U.S. spending 3.04% versus Europe’s 2.07%.

This disparity stems from several factors:

• Slower commercialization of innovations in Europe
• Regulatory fragmentation that stifles growth
• Insufficient public and private R&D investments
• A large base of SMEs struggling with tech adoption
• Brain drains to the U.S. due to a more innovation-friendly environment
• A focus on mature technologies over emerging ones

Our take: European CIOs need to bridge the innovation gap through bold actions. They must overcome regulatory barriers, increase investment in emerging technologies, and foster a supportive startup ecosystem.

Talent scarcity

Another unavoidable truth is the critical issue of talent scarcity. From IMF’s World Economic Outlook of October 2024, we know that 64% of business leaders identified talent shortages as a significant risk to business growth over the next 12-18 months. Industries like telecom, media, high-tech, life sciences, and insurance are particularly affected.

Our take: Talent scarcity is a significant risk. CIOs must focus on attracting top-tier digital talent and ensuring their existing workforce remains competitive. They must shift from a job title-centric approach to a skills-based model. Upskilling and reskilling should be core business strategies, emphasizing communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. Without the right talent, even the best technology and transformation strategies will fall short. (See also: CIO hiring on the rise: How to land a top tech exec role in 2025.)

Conclusion: A call to action for CIOs

In summary, Davos 2025 highlighted the need for CIOs to balance cost efficiency with innovation. Focus on strategic cost cutting, modernizing infrastructure, and reducing tech debt. Prioritize supply chain resilience and sustainability. Enhance customer experience through AI and data analytics. Address the U.S.-Europe tech investment gap and tackle talent shortages with upskilling initiatives. Leveraging these insights and strategic guidance will be crucial for navigating the challenges ahead and ensuring success in 2025 and beyond.

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International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the technology markets. IDC is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG Inc.), the world’s leading tech media, data, and marketing services company. Recently voted Analyst Firm of the Year for the third consecutive time, IDC’s Technology Leader Solutions provide you with expert guidance backed by our industry-leading research and advisory services, robust leadership and development programs, and best-in-class benchmarking and sourcing intelligence data from the industry’s most experienced advisors. Contact us today to learn more.

Eveline Oehrlich, a director in IDC’s IT Executive Programs (IEP), is the former chief research officer at PeopleCert and DevOps Institute. She is considered a thought leader in the adoption of DevOps, value stream management, and IT and enterprise service management principles to improve IT services and products. She is passionate about empowering IT leaders with strategy, operational excellence, and creating a culture of continuous improvement and automation.