The adoption of artificial intelligence in the European business fabric is progressing more slowly than expected and with important imbalances between sectors. This is revealed by the AI Barometer: Business and Sustainability prepared by ESSCA School of Management and Forvis Mazars, based on the opinion of more than 400 technology managers in Europe.
The study shows that, despite the consensus on its positive impact on productivity, 16% of companies have not yet invested in AI and only 26% consider themselves prepared to manage the risks associated with its use.
Added to this is a structural problem: 31% of organizations do not have a team dedicated to AI nor do they plan to create one, and nearly 40% do not plan to train their staff in this technology.
Sectors with the greatest delay in the adoption of Artificial Intelligence
The AI Barometer published by the AI Institute for Sustainability of the ESSCA School of Management reflects an uneven adoption of Artificial Intelligence by sectors:
– Public administration: it is the most lagging sector, with 90% of organizations using less than 10 AI systems and only a third perceiving clear benefits.
– Services: registers one of the highest percentages of companies without investment in AI (around 20%) and the highest level of lack of intention to innovate with this technology (22%).
– SMEs: they are the ones that find it most difficult to invest, with 37% without projects underway.
However, the study shows how sectors such as finance and utilities lead the deployment of AI systems and their integration in different business areas.
Diffuse strategy and lack of talent: the big brakes
The report indicates that only 23% of companies invest in AI to respond to a clearly identified need, while the rest do so due to competitive pressure or poorly structured initiatives.
Furthermore, two-thirds of European professionals consider that the adoption of AI will require reskilling and upskilling processes in the next decade, which shows the urgency of forming hybrid profiles capable of managing technology, data, business and ethical risks.
In this context, ESSCA reinforces its commitment to the training of future managers at its Malaga campus with the Bachelor in International Management, a program that integrates in its third year (September 2027) a specialization in Business AI, Data & Cybersecurity.
“The barometer confirms that the main challenge is not technological, but skills. Companies need professionals capable of understanding AI from strategy, data management and governance. That is precisely the objective of our Bachelor in Malaga”says Stéphane Ruiz, director of the ESSCA campus in Malaga.
The program, taught in an international environment, prepares students to: lead digital transformation projects, integrate AI into business areas, manage ethical and regulatory risks, and respond to the growing demand for specialized talent
“Europe has a great opportunity, but it needs to accelerate. Training international profiles with knowledge in AI and cybersecurity is key for our companies to move from experimentation to real implementation”Adds Ruiz.
From experimentation to transformation
Although 50% of companies already recognize improvements in their performance thanks to AI, the majority are still in the initial phases, with projects concentrated in technological departments and aimed mainly at cost reduction, not innovation.
For ESSCA, the solution is through training. “Business competitiveness in the coming years will depend directly on the ability to attract and develop talent trained in AI. Schools must anticipate this need, and that is what we are doing from Malaga with an international and applied approach.”, concludes Stéphane Ruiz.
