Aritificial intelligence has captured the world’s creativeness all through the final two years, and corporations of all sizes are embracing – having recognised the long-term advantages the rising know-how might supply. In its newest report, monetary administration answer Qonto reveals how this pattern interprets for SMEs throughout Europe.
Within the Qonto report, European SMEs revealed their intention to massively spend money on tech, comparable to AI, and digitisation in 2024, particularly in Germany, Italy, and Spain. Greater than three-quarters of respondents share not less than some degree of optimism about the advantages that fintech and AI might supply their enterprise.
Whereas this optimism for brand new digital options persists, most respondents are additionally severely contemplating placing their cash the place their mouth is. Actually, round 73 per cent of all of the Qonto respondents have been not less than ‘seemingly’ to spend money on fintech and AI companies sooner or later.
This will likely come as a shock to some, particularly contemplating the truth that nearly all of EU SMEs have solely adopted fundamental and never superior applied sciences – indicating a shift in attitudes towards tech, and the adoption of a extra holistic and open method to enterprise practices.
Nonetheless, this perspective doesn’t seem to have unfold to all features of rising applied sciences. SME leaders seem much more sceptical about cryptocurrency, Web3, digital actuality and metaverse platforms. Throughout all 4 markets, 37 per cent of respondents admitted being ‘pessimistic’ or ‘very pessimistic’ about Web3 and cryptocurrencies. In the meantime, 33 per cent felt the identical method about digital actuality and the metaverse.
Qonto additionally revealed that when it separated respondents by trade, it discovered that the finance and insurance coverage sectors have been probably the most passionate about new tech. Nonetheless, the development sector emerged because the least hopeful in regards to the potential advantages of latest applied sciences.
Any funding left for expertise?
Whereas SMEs put together to spend money on tech, the identical doesn’t look like true on the subject of hiring new expertise. Actually, a majority of SMEs surveyed meant to cease or gradual the hiring of latest expertise on the again finish of 2023.
Nonetheless, Qonto revealed that 42 per cent of SMEs meant to rent extra workers in This fall in comparison with Q3 2023. In keeping with the survey, the market with the very best proportion of SMEs saying they are going to speed up their recruitment is Italy, the place 48 per cent stated they employed extra in This fall 2023.
The random pattern of enterprise leaders (CEOs, CFOs and different government positions) additionally revealed that girls stay underrepresented in management roles. Throughout all 4 nations studied, solely 29 per cent of the respondents have been ladies.
France (38 per cent) and Italy (32 per cent) seem the closest to gender parity of the 4 markets. Nonetheless, Germany appears the furthest from it, with ladies making up 23 per cent of respondents, adopted by Spain (25 per cent).
