Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 53 | Page 54

CIO OPINION
CIOs have a wonderful opportunity to build on this enthusiasm for change . They must engage with their peers to deliver innovation that works .
Ezat Dayeh , Senior Systems Engineering Manager , Western Europe at Cohesity

Why CIOs need to get tech innovation back on the roadmap

The pandemic has accelerated business growth to the extreme and CIOs need to make sure investment in innovation is focused on the right areas . Ezat Dayeh , Senior Systems Engineering Manager , Western Europe at Cohesity , says that CIOs must put technology innovation at the heart of their strategic roadmaps in order to stay ahead .

Technological innovation must be a priority for European organisations . If your business doesn ’ t continually look for new ways to disrupt its market , then you risk watching your own company being disrupted by other innovators . But if innovation is so important , why are some organisations failing to invest as much in creating new digital products and services as others ?

Gartner says CIOs at top organisations face fewer constraints , with 28 % saying they have secured additional funding to support more experimentation in IT . That proportion compares to just 19 % for trailing organisations . The analyst says organisations that increase funding of digital innovation are 2.7 times more likely to be a top performer than a trailing one .
What seems to be emerging as we enter the post- COVID age is a two-speed split on digital innovation : while some pioneers are always on the lookout for new ways to boost their bottom line , others are struggling to get the cash to ensure that digital innovation is a number-one business priority .
To be fair to digital leaders , most are aware of the need for digital innovation . Two-thirds ( 67 %) of CIOs believe the creation of new revenue-generating initiatives is among their top job responsibilities , according to IDG research .
However , being aware of the need for almost-constant Digital Transformation is just the starting point . If CIOs and their business peers don ’ t prioritise innovation ,
54 INTELLIGENTCIO EUROPE www . intelligentcio . com