UK IT professionals are the most confident in Europe about their department’s readiness for a future shaped by strengthened cybersecurity demands and deeper AI implementation, according to new research from IT service management provider TOPdesk.
A Europe-wide survey of 6,000 IT professionals working in organisations with more than 25 employees found that 45% of UK respondents believe their IT department is fully future-proofed. That compares with 43% in Switzerland, 40% in Austria, 37% in Germany, and 35% in Belgium.
The data suggests UK organisations are marginally ahead of their continental peers in perceived preparedness. However, the same research indicates that full integration of AI remains uneven.
In the UK, 49% of respondents said that using AI — from repetitive processes such as ticket categorisation to advanced data analysis — is a key element of future-proofing. Adoption is underway across many departments, yet only 36% described their organisation’s use of AI as advanced or mature. TOPdesk defines AI maturity as technology that is fully embedded across the organisation, delivers measurable value, and supports strategic objectives.
The gap between ambition and implementation reflects broader structural challenges. More than a quarter of UK IT professionals cited skills shortages (28%) and insufficient investment (27%) as primary obstacles to future-proofing. A further 20% pointed to difficulties integrating AI tools with existing business systems.
These barriers align with trends seen across European markets, where demand for AI capability is rising alongside regulatory scrutiny and cybersecurity pressures. As organisations accelerate digital transformation strategies, the ability to embed AI into legacy systems — and to recruit or retrain specialist talent — is emerging as a defining constraint.
Hannah Salt, Head of Customer Enablement at TOPdesk, said: “It’s great to see confidence in future-readiness is so high among UK IT departments and that AI is increasingly removing the more routine burdens for IT. But there is still a long way to go for most UK organisations and even where confidence is high, barriers remain to true future-readiness. UK organisations need to invest in strong processes, clear roles and close cooperation with other departments. Only when that foundation is in place can they benefit from the full advantages of AI.”
The findings suggest that while UK IT departments are comparatively confident in their strategic direction, confidence does not necessarily equate to full technological integration. With AI increasingly linked to operational efficiency, security resilience, and data-driven decision-making, organisations may face pressure to convert early-stage adoption into measurable performance gains.
As European markets continue to strengthen digital governance frameworks and cybersecurity expectations, the distinction between experimentation and embedded capability is likely to become more pronounced.
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