Research Report
Bridging the AI Implementation Gap
Findings from primary research with 69 European industrial decision-makers.
75.4%
cite implementation, not strategy, as the primary barrier to AI adoption.
12% → 52%
trust concerns rise four-fold once organisations actually deploy AI — the trust escalator.
2.9% vs 4%
only 2.9% call AI transformative to their operations; converges with BCG’s independent 4%.
Primary research with 69 European industrial decision-makers, December 2025 to February 2026. The report documents the implementation gap, three boundary conditions where standard AI frameworks misspecify what industrial organisations face, and a concrete starting point for executives.