Global tech spending will reach more than $4.8 trillion in 2023 as two-thirds of technology decision-makers increase their tech budgets, despite increasing economic uncertainty.

Additionally, boffins at Forrester says that in the coming year, to stay competitive, future fit tech leaders will take a more practical approach to innovation experiments to prioritise customer needs — 80% of companies will pivot their innovation efforts from creativity to resilience.

This is all according to Forrester’s 2023 Tech Leadership Predictions, which offers research and frameworks designed to help tech leaders take charge in fueling their organisations’ future growth through the creation and execution of adaptive and resilient technology strategies. This new research includes:

• Predictions 2023: Tech Leadership. Technology companies are under distress due to capital flow reductions, higher interest rates, and fears of reduced customer demand. In 2023, tech leaders should review their vendors well in advance of upcoming renewal cycles and build contingency plans accounting for software-as-a-service (SaaS) failures, spinouts, and product retirements. There will also be an anticipated uptick of whistleblowers stepping up to hold tech leaders accountable, forcing CIOs to act. Join this keynote to discover what the future holds for tech leaders in 2023.

• The State Of Future Fit Technology Strategy, 2022. According to Forrester’s latest research, companies that met customers’ needs by being future fit, even in uncertain times, grew revenue 1.8 times faster than their peers. With more than 75% of business and tech professionals at future fit organizations strongly agreeing that their organizations can easily absorb major business changes, tech platforms are key to accelerating organizations’ transformation and innovation journeys. Join this session to learn best practices for creating a future fit platform strategy that powers business outcomes.

• A Skills-Based Talent Strategy Is Central To An Adaptive Organization. As tech leaders struggle to attract the right talent, they will need to create an adaptive organization that continuously develops and applies knowledge and skills to drive resilience. Join this session to learn how to rethink tech skills and competencies in order to build a future fit strategy that broadens the talent roster.

• The Top 10 Emerging Technologies In 2022. According to Forrester, 65% of tech professionals say their firm will increase spending on emerging technologies over the next 12 months. Future fit tech organizations are poised to see positive near-term ROI in four emerging tech categories: extended reality (XR), AI-powered TuringBots, Web3, and Zero Trust edge. Join this keynote to learn more about which emerging technologies are ready now, which are going to take some time, and which have a long way to go.

“Looking ahead, future fit tech leaders will take a pragmatic but opportunistic approach to enhance their organizations’ operational resilience despite any uncertainty to outpace the long shadow of the pandemic,” said Matthew Guarini, event host and VP and senior research director at Forrester. “At Technology & Innovation North America, we will unveil research and insights for tech leaders to overcome this complex landscape — turning lessons learned from difficult times into capabilities that will ensure that their organizations are more adaptive and successful long term.”