5 trends for 2022 and beyond

The road to post-COVID recovery is long—and for many, the journey will be uphill. Global inflation is rising. The talent market is tightening. And supply chain disruption abounds.

It’s not an ideal environment for growth. Yet, these challenges have introduced a host of opportunities for companies that are prepared to pivot. Where old business models faltered, new ones are poised to take the reins.

Which approaches will be the most successful? Our research offers some valuable clues.

Technology, talent, and trust are top priorities for the coming year.

Over the past year, the IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) surveyed and interviewed tens of thousands of executives, employees, and consumers around the world. We’ve learned how consumer, employee, and investor demands are shifting, what high-performing organizations are doing differently, and where executives are making the biggest bets. Taken together, these findings bring the business landscape of 2022 into focus—and highlight where it’s been permanently altered.

Technology, talent, and trust are top priorities for the coming year. Executives are rethinking how they operate all along the value chain. They’re finding ways to increase flexibility, strengthen cybersecurity, and reduce environmental impact each step of the way. They’re also redefining how humans and technology work together—and creating organizational cultures that put people first.

Executives plan to participate in business ecosystems 332% more in 2022 than they did in 2018.

As open innovation, ecosystem partnerships, and integrated customer experiences become increasingly important, leaders need to move strategically to stay relevant. The choices—and investments—they make today will define, in part, which doors are open to them tomorrow.

Our data-driven insights can help make those decisions easier. Download the report to explore 5 trends that executives will need to navigate in 2022 to prepare for a future that is characterized—still—by disruption and change.