FEATURE
Beyond cloud computing, Europe has also made significant gains in the adoption of opensource, low-code and no-code technologies. Collectively, these tools achieved a maturity score of 69 out of 100, representing a ten-point increase since 2025. More than two-thirds of European enterprises now report that at least half of their systems incorporate open-source technology, while just over half say low-code and no-code platforms support at least half of their applications.
However, confidence is far from universal. Almost two-thirds of respondents question whether low-code and no-code platforms can scale effectively across complex enterprise environments. More than half also worry about limited flexibility and customisation, while half of German organizations believe their operational requirements are too sophisticated for these simplified development tools. Although only a small minority of UK businesses describe themselves as fully open-source organizations, the country still performs strongly overall, suggesting most enterprises favour a balanced technology strategy.
AI and automation represent the report ' s most dramatic area of progress. Europe ' s AI and automation maturity score climbed to 71 out of 100, rising by 14 points in just 12 months. AI has rapidly evolved from experimental deployments into practical business applications, with organizations embedding intelligent capabilities across core operations instead of limiting them to isolated pilot projects.
In 2025, only 2 % of European organizations reported using AI throughout every major business system. That figure has now reached 15 %. Automation has followed a similar trajectory, with 40 % of organizations deploying automation capabilities across the vast majority of their critical systems, compared with 22 % a year earlier.
Yet enthusiasm remains tempered by practical concerns. Nearly half of European decisionmakers continue to identify cybersecurity risks as a major obstacle to wider AI deployment, while more than one-third cite regulatory compliance. More than half acknowledge that information across their organizations remains
Technology investment alone cannot deliver Digital Transformation. Organizations also require integrated platforms capable of sharing information securely, consistently and at scale.
too fragmented or disorganised to support reliable AI decision-making. Even the most sophisticated algorithms cannot generate meaningful insights when the underlying information is incomplete or poorly governed.
Cybersecurity has become another defining strength within Europe ' s digital landscape. With a maturity score of 76, 11 points higher than in 2025, organizations are placing greater emphasis on protecting digital assets as cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated. Almost four in five organizations now report that the vast majority of their systems are protected by cybersecurity measures, while more than one-quarter have implemented comprehensive enterprise-wide security strategies.
Implementation complexity remains the biggest challenge. Nearly half of respondents say introducing stronger security controls is difficult because modern digital environments are increasingly interconnected. Many also point to shortages of specialist expertise, while German organizations continue to cite compliance requirements as barriers to adopting new technologies.
The Digital Maturity Index ultimately paints an encouraging picture of Europe ' s Digital Transformation journey. Progress is evident across cloud computing, AI, automation, cybersecurity and modern application development. However, the decline in content services maturity serves as an important warning that technological progress cannot be sustained without robust information management.
Digital maturity is not defined by the number of technologies an organization deploys but by how effectively those technologies work together. Enterprises that connect systems, improve data quality and establish strong digital foundations will be best positioned to move beyond pilot projects, scale innovation and realise lasting competitive advantage. Europe ' s digital momentum is undeniable.
The next stage of maturity will belong to organizations that recognise information, not technology alone, as the foundation of longterm success. •
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INTELLIGENT CIO EUROPE www. intelligentcio. com