New BDO report reveals the top strategies global organizations are pursuing to gain a competitive advantage
CHICAGO & BRUSSELS, July 21, 2025–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Following years of geopolitical shocks, economic headwinds, and technology innovation, a new report from BDO finds that 61% of global business leaders believe resilience is the most important quality of a business and key to thriving in the face of ongoing uncertainty and disruption.
Techtonic States 2025: The New Business Edge explores how 1,050 global leaders are preparing for a future shaped by cyber threats, fragmented markets, and fast-moving innovation. Global leaders are investing in artificial intelligence (AI), strengthening data infrastructure, and embedding risk-thinking into business culture to mitigate risk and gain competitive advantage.
“The risks confronting businesses today are undeniable,” says Ric Opal, Global BDO Digital Leader. “In this environment, leaders must ask themselves: ‘Do I want to play offense or defense?’ Those choosing offense must harness advanced technology to build organizations that are resilient, agile, and future-ready. The era of playing it safe is over.”
Report Highlights Include:
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Future readiness: Nearly three-quarters (73%) of executives agree that resilience requires preparing for multiple potential outcomes, while almost half (42%) believe their organization lacks the necessary skills and infrastructure to effectively navigate market disruptions. This underscores the urgent need for investment in the foundational tools and skills to build resilience and organizational agility.
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Balancing innovation and protection: Growing cyber risks, outdated infrastructure and high cost of capital threaten to slow innovation just when it’s needed most. Only 8% of leaders expect a future defined by innovation and collaboration and nearly half (45%) report that data security concerns are preventing their organization from investing more in AI technologies.
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Fear of falling behind: As technology becomes critical for competitive advantage, nearly half of leaders (42%) are worried about keeping up with AI. With siloed or ‘messy’ data as the top reason organizations could fail to leverage the benefits of tech, data management is now a top-three strategic priority.
Techtonic States 2025: The New Business Edge is the first of a four-part series that will explore how businesses can build, secure, and grow their edge to lead their organization into the future.
About the Techtonic States 2025 Report
BDO’s Techtonic States 2025 report explores corporate leaders’ visions of the future business landscape, with a focus on the role of technology. In March-April 2025, BDO surveyed 1,050 C-suite and senior executives from mid-market organizations ($50M-$1B revenue) and large enterprises ($1B-$5B revenue) across 10 global markets, spanning financial services, manufacturing, technology, retail, healthcare, and other key sectors. Techtonic States: The New Business Edge, Chapter One is the first in a series of four reports discussing how leaders plan to build strategic resilience to navigate disruption, cyber risk, and AI uncertainty.
