The CEO digital agenda – What do CEOs talk about?
Every quarter, we dissect earnings calls to uncover what top CEOs are discussing and presenting—especially regarding their digital agenda.
Step into the minds of global industry leaders and understand which tech topics are trending and what macro themes are seen as headwinds and tailwinds. Top level insights are available as part of our blog. For details, take a look at the in-depth report.
Quarterly CEO trend reports and other insights
Latest CEO analysis articles
Industrial macro update Q3 2026: Germany and Japan extend their manufacturing upturn, led by electronics and machinery orders
In short Germany and Japan flipped from contraction to expansion in 2026, with August PMIs of 54.3 and 54.9 (Germany briefly above the US). Computer & electronics and machinery lead order growth, driven by AI infrastructure (US), domestic spending (Germany), and semiconductor rebuilding (Japan). The upturn is thin: Motor vehicle orders lag in Germany and Japan due to competition from China,...
What CEOs talked about in Q3 2026: AI, tariff refunds, and rogue agents
In short According to IoT Analytics' latest What CEOs Talked About update, AI remained the top topic in CEOs' minds in Q3 2026. Discussions around tariff refunds rose sharply, while discussions about the tariffs themselves dropped slightly. Recent reports of AI agents breaking safeguards and hacking companies have CEOs discussing the risks (and, for some, opportunities) of rogue agents....
What CEOs talked about in Q2 2026: Geopolitics, inflation, and frontier AI models
In short According to IoT Analytics' latest What CEOs Talked About report, AI remained the top topic in CEOs’ minds in Q2 2026, though it declined slightly quarter-over-quarter. Discussions about Iran and the Strait of Hormuz climbed sharply, as did related geopolitical and economic impact topics, including oil, energy, inflation, and uncertainty. Frontier AI model “Mythos” took the stage in...
What CEOs talked about in Q1 2026: Iran war, physical/agentic AI, OpenClaw, and the SaaSpocalypse
In short According to IoT Analytics’ latest What CEOs Talked About report, AI maintained the top spot in CEOs’ minds in Q1 2026, with discussions around physical and agentic AI increasing. The onset of armed conflict in the Middle East made discussions about Iran rise steeply. Talk about OpenClaw and SaaSpocalypse, too, had sharp increases. Discussions around AI bubble concerns, uncertainty, and...
60+ emerging industrial digital technologies you should have on your radar (2026 update)
In short IoT Analytics identified 64 industrial digital technologies that those working in industrial operations should have on their radar: 21 in AI & ML, 18 in automation & robotics, 13 in IoT hardware & connectivity, and 12 in cloud, software, & security. Of the 64 technologies on the radar, 18 are considered to be fairly mature. Many technologies are further out and still...
What CEOs talked about in Q4 2025: AI initiatives, AI bubble concerns, and the US government shutdown
In short According to IoT Analytics’ latest What CEOs Talked About report, AI took the top spot in CEOs’ minds for the first time in Q4 2025, though discussions around a possible AI bubble rose steeply. The US’s longest government shutdown had one of the highest quarter-over-quarter jumps in Q4, with most CEOs simply recognizing it as something to watch and mitigate if warranted. Discussions...
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Dimitris Paraskevopoulos
Principal Data Analyst
Dimitris is a principal data analyst in our Hamburg, Germany, office. He leads the data team, focusing on quantitative analyses, most notably surveys, market models, and analyses. His team also leads the generative AI research.
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