Digital transformation marches on at an unstoppable pace and only companies and professionals who keep up with emerging IT trends can remain relevant and competitive.

 

In 2025, AI-powered technologies, advanced computing paradigms and human-machine synergy are some of the key ingredients to help businesses enhance productivity, innovation and security, turning opportunities into success stories and staying ahead of the competition.

 

So, what major technological trends are expected to shine in 2025 (and beyond)? Here are our top picks.

 

 

AI, Machine Learning and Generative AI

Among the fastest-growing technologies in history, Artificial Intelligence is expected to reach the market value of €708.83 billion ($747.91 billion) in 2025, thanks to the rapid development and adoption of solutions like:

  • Generative AI
    The latest advancements in Large Language Models (LLMs) like those used by ChatGPT, Google Gemini (formerly known as Google Bard), or Claude are helping businesses across different sectors boost their productivity, efficiency and innovation, automate processes, and create better customer experiences. GenAI has been very clearly improving areas like software development, business analytics, healthcare diagnostics and monitoring, manufacturing predictive maintenance, among others.
    In terms of market value and growth, Generative AI is expected to reach €337.45 billion ($356 billion) by 2030, growing at a 46% annual rate, which makes it one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world.

  • Autonomous AI
    Also known as Agentic AI, this technology is capable of independently performing a series of tasks on behalf of the user. It combines the best of Generative AI and Machine Learning (ML) models to actively solve problems and facilitate decision-making processes with minimal human intervention. Forecasts for 2025 say that 25% of companies that use Generative AI will launch Agentic AI pilots – that percentage is expected to rise to 50% by 2027.

  • AI governance platforms
    Especially in Europe, where there are clear and strict guidelines to promote a responsible and safe use of Artificial Intelligence, there is a growing need among organisations to ensure compliance with major regulations and manage the legal and ethical performance of their AI systems. That’s exactly where AI governance solutions come in – they make sure AI tools are deployed effectively to meet ethical standards, transparency and security values.

  • Disinformation detection tools
    With the rising number of social engineering attacks and deepfakes, businesses need a little hand in identifying fraudulent information and communication. That’s where disinformation security technology comes in, by ensuring identity verification, mitigating phishing, preventing account takeover and users’ manipulation, which may damage companies’ reputation and operations.
    According to Gartner, the demand for this type of technology is growing so quickly that, by 2028, around 50% of enterprises will adopt disinformation security products, services or features, up from less than 5% in 2024.

 

Overall, by 2032, the global AI market is projected to grow at an annual rate of 20.4%, then reaching the value of €2.6 trillion ($2.74 trillion).

 

 

Advanced computing

Quantum technology is still emerging but presents enormous potential by performing calculations and solve complex problems at speeds that classical computers can only dream of.

 

2025 is still a year of moderate expansion, but expansion nonetheless, thanks to advanced computing paradigms like:

  • Quantum Computing
    The use of quantum mechanics for faster data processing and problem-solving has been revolutionising industries such as finance, pharmaceutical, or logistics. Here are a few examples of how it will be applied in 2025: in finance, quantum computing will be increasingly used to optimise large-scale portfolios and risk management strategies; in healthcare, it will help accelerate drug discovery and advance precision medicine; and in logistics it will help optimise inventory, routes, deliveries, among other things.

  • Post-quantum cryptography
    The staggering progress in quantum computing also comes as a threat, since this technology is capable of easily cracking traditional encryption codes. Hence the emergence of post-quantum cryptography (PQC), which many companies are starting to adopt to make sure their data, transactions and communications are protected by unbreakable security. Naturally, PQC will keep growing proportionally to the growth of quantum computing.

This market was valued at €1.58 billion ($1.67 billion) in 2024 and is expected to reach €50.05 billion ($52.84 billion) by the end of 2037, at an annual growth rate of 33.1%.

 

 

Hybrid computing

Companies are strategically betting on hybrid environments that combine traditional and emerging computing technologies to solve computational problems.

 

The adoption of in-house servers (usually to store critical data) mixed with cloud servers (for analytics and scalability) will continue in 2025, as a way for companies to enhance performance and data security, mitigate risk, and ensure cost-efficiency and flexibility.

 

On cloud environments, specifically, a multi-cloud approach is also growing in popularity because it allows companies to combine public and private infrastructures across multiple cloud providers, to take the best out of each solution for different tasks, while minimising the risk of failure and data compromise.

 

The numbers are very clear on this: according to Gartner, 90% of organisations will adopt a hybrid cloud approach by 2027. In 2025, specifically, the global spending on public cloud services is expected to reach €685.89 billion ($723.4 billion), up from €564.81 billion ($595.7 billion) in 2024.

 

 

Internet of Things (IoT)

The adoption of IoT technology continues to grow substantially in three different domains:

  • Everyday life
    Almost all of us use interconnected devices on a daily basis – whether in the form of home appliances (e.g.: smart TVs or vacuum cleaners), wearables (e.g.: smart watches or AR headsets), or cars (e.g.: autonomous vehicles or real-time traffic updates).

  • Business world
    Organisations across different sectors – like agriculture, healthcare, retail or manufacturing – are leveraging IoT devices, combined with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning algorithms, to enhance efficiency, innovation and security, improve customer experience and reduce operational costs.

  • Smart cities
    More and more cities around the world are implementing and integrating IoT sensors and devices to help them optimise transportation systems, energy use, waste and water management, security operations, and healthcare services, among other things.

The demand of IoT technology from both consumers and enterprises will continue to increase. In 2025, the number of connected devices, globally, is expected to reach 21.5 million, growing up to 40 million by 2030.

 

This growth will be supported by two main pillars: on the one hand, AI, Cloud and Edge Computing will help handle the large volume of data generated by IoT; on the other hand, the expansion of 5G will reinforce network capability to make sure everything runs smoothly on a global scale.

 

 

Digital sustainability

Sustainability is a core concern across all sectors of society. Companies, in particular, feel the social and commercial pressure to adopt more eco-friendly practices and products, reduce their carbon footprint, and improve their corporate social responsibility status.

 

So, here’s how organisations plan to apply sustainability values to their digital operations in 2025:

  • Energy-efficient computing
    More sustainable architecture, code and algorithms, as well as energy-efficient data centres and hardware, will be prioritised and become an integral part of business strategies.

  • Renewable energy solutions
    Global spendings on renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and bioenergy will continue to increase. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewable capacity will meet 35% of global power generation by 2025. Plus, renewables will surpass coal to become the largest source of electricity generation.

  • Electrification
    Governments and companies’ investment in electric vehicles (EVs) and smart grids will also increase as a way to reduce carbon emissions. 

  • New battery technologies
    There are also new energy storage solutions available to make battery-powered devices more sustainable, such as hydrogen storage, grid energy storage, solid-state batteries, EV batteries, or the use nanocomponents to save energy on traditional batteries.

  • Sustainable AI
    When implementing Artificial Intelligence and IoT solutions, companies are prioritising those that are more energy-efficient, that rely on smaller LLMs and are less resource-intensive. This approach not only contributes to achieving sustainability goals, but also reduces AI implementation costs.

  • Circular economy practices
    On top of all this, organisations are also focusing on recycling and reusing materials and resources, reducing waste, and expanding the lifespan of IT equipment and workstations.

 

 

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)

These technologies enable immersive and realistic experiences that create a connection between the digital and physical worlds. The difference between them? VR is based on a completely virtual setting, while AR overlays virtual elements over a physical environment.

 

Both are growing rapidly and being adopted across several industries, such as:

  • Education
    VR and AR are responsible for new and engaging learning processes that allow teachers and students to collaboratively generate lasting knowledge. Children’s visual learning capacity is enhanced, which helps them understand more complex concepts like, for example, geometry.

  • Entertainment
    There are more and more entertainment apps that provide immersive and deeper social experiences through AR and VR. The most popular applications have been for gaming, cinema, museums, theme parks, among others.

  • Retail
    In-store shopping experiences are becoming more innovative and customised, with AR and VR technologies allowing customers to visualise how specific products can be used before buying them, which improves the overall customer engagement and satisfaction.

  • Healthcare
    These technologies can be used to improve a variety of tasks, such as staff training (e.g.: simulating a surgery to improve performance and success rates), or mental health treatments (e.g.: helping a patient overcome the fear of heights through realistic simulations).

  • Aviation
    Much like in the healthcare sector, AR and VR technologies can be leveraged for training purposes, simulating a real flight to improve the pilot’s confidence and skills.

  • Manufacturing
    Engineers, mechanics and designers can use VR and AR technologies to test their products in a realistic environment, enabling them to anticipate challenges and make improvements before deployment.

In 2025, VR and AR experiences will continue to revolutionise business models and operations across industries, especially when combined with digital twin technology. VR and AR will also start to become more present and commonly used in everyday life. By 2029, the number of worldwide users of these technologies is expected to reach 3728 million.

 

 

Human-machine synergy

VR and AR could also be a part of this category, since it highlights the convergence of the physical and digital worlds, but the focus here is on more futuristic and less widespread technologies, especially among consumers and companies. Gartner features the following:

  • Advanced robotics
    The result of merging robotics and AI. This includes polyfunctional robots that are capable of performing multiple complex and precision tasks autonomously, and to efficiently switch between them as needed. It has been proving to be particularly useful for sectors like healthcare or manufacturing. In factories, specifically, a total of 4,281,585 robots were operating worldwide in 2023, a 10% increase from the previous year, according to the World Robotics Report 2024. The International Federation of Robotics states that “growth is expected to accelerate in 2025 and continue in 2026 and 2027”.

  • Neurotechnology
    Brain implant technology that can read humans’ brain activity and enhance cognitive abilities is rapidly evolving and has the potential to act on two major fronts: 1) treat cognitive decline; and 2) help us acquire new skills. For organisations, specifically, neurotechnologies will soon be used for employee upskilling, for improving their performance and for developing more effective marketing strategies to boost customer engagement (by knowing what clients desire in real-time).
    According to the World Economic Forum, “convergence with AI, nanotechnology and other technologies is rapidly transforming the field of neurotechnology”, which “could become mainstream for some children” in the next 5 to 10 years.

 

 

Cybersecurity and digital trust

New and advanced security threats emerge every single day, so it is only natural that cybersecurity remains a top priority for organisations in 2025. Given the level of sophistication of recent AI-powered threats, cybersecurity will evolve accordingly and make even more room for strategies such as: 

  • AI-driven security
    Cyber professionals will increasingly use AI and ML technologies to improve threat detection and response capabilities by analysing large volumes of data, predicting potential damaging threats, automating complex processes and implementing real-time defences. Managed Security Services stand out in this context. 

  • Data security and privacy
    As businesses continue their digital transformation processes, top priorities include protecting customers’ data and ensuring secure interactions and transactions. By extension, compliance with major industry regulations like the NIS 2 Directive and DORA is also a core focus.

  • Zero-trust architectures
    It is one of the key cybersecurity trends for 2025, since it trusts no one by default and requires verification of everyone’s identity before granting any type of access.

 

 

Conclusion

2025 is, undeniably, a year of intersection between Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, sustainability, and advanced emerging technologies like Quantum Computing, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, or Neurotechnology.

 

Businesses and IT professionals willing to ride the wave and incorporate these trends into their daily lives will have greater chances of success and growth for not only this year, but many more to come.
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