CIO Strategy Report 2026

Irish organisations are wasting over €1.1 million a year on IT. Is yours one of them?

The Saros CIO Strategy Report 2026 reveals what is really happening inside Ireland’s largest organisations and what technology leaders need to do about it.

Despite significant technology investment, most organisations are operating without a coherent IT strategy, losing millions to failed projects, and exposing themselves to serious AI and cybersecurity risk. This report sets out what the data shows, what it means, and what needs to change.

Independent Research

This report is based on survey research conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Saros among 200 senior IT decision makers in large organisations across Ireland, all working in organisations with 250 or more employees.

What You Will Find in This Report

The CIO Strategy Report 2026 covers the issues that matter most to technology leaders right now:

  • Why 1 in 5 large organisations in Ireland have no IT strategy at all, and what it is costing them

  • The AI project failure crisis: 99% of large Irish organisations have experienced it, at an average cost of €775,000 per year

  • How legacy systems and technical debt are consuming up to 58% of IT budgets before innovation even begins

  • The governance gap: why only 50% of organisations are confident they can detect a cyberattack before damage is done

  • The human cost of strategic absence, and why 60% of IT teams are reporting stress and mental health issues

  • Recommendations for moving from reactive IT to purposeful, business aligned strategy

As featured in

The Irish Times — Tech workers under stress as AI pressure mounts

TechCentral — Quarter of large Irish businesses cut cybersecurity budgets in 2026

ThinkBusiness — Irish firms losing millions to failed AI projects

Is Your IT Strategy Built for What Comes Next?

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