How do megatrends affect the IT industry: CEO’s analysis
Megatrends, i.e., long-term, interconnected developments that change slowly but have a wide-ranging impact, give us plenty to think about in working life, regardless of industry. According to Sitra, the megatrends for 2026 can be summarized in four themes: people, power, nature, and technology (you can find Sitra’s full megatrend report here). In this blog article, Marvel Consulting’s CEO Sampsa Siitonen explores these megatrends and analyzes their impact on the IT industry and beyond.
Sampsa Siitonen is a long-time software industry entrepreneur, contributor to industry organizations, and the CEO of Marvel Consulting
People and culture: an ageing population is both a challenge and an opportunity
“Finland will soon have a majority of older people and a minority of young people. Birth rates have been very low for years, and population growth has come from immigration. The increase in life expectancy is also a significant success and opportunity. How do we move towards a diverse society characterised by long life courses? This requires continuous learning, new forms of community and the appreciation of diversity.” (Sitra 2026)
An ageing population creates a structural imbalance in which a shrinking working population supports society's basic functions. This leads to several challenges. One is the very concrete issue of financing the pension system and maintaining the tax base as the workforce shrinks. Another is the availability of labour in general, for example, in healthcare, but also across many other sectors.
Increased productivity and diverse teams can be the solution
The key solution to both challenges is increased productivity. In practice, this can largely be achieved through technology. Artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation enable the creation of solutions in which technology replaces or supports human labour. Significant progress has already been made in this area, and we are likely to see many new innovations and companies that make everyday life easier as people live longer.
At the same time, in a small country like Finland, we cannot afford to leave anyone outside the workforce. We need to utilize the full potential of everyone living here. Diversity enables us to benefit from different skills and perspectives, which often also leads to better and more innovative solutions. New technologies, such as AI-based real-time translation tools, can help people participate in work communities in entirely new ways.
We will likely see many new solutions in this area that improve individual productivity and enable new forms of workplace participation, particularly through AI-powered services.
Power and politics: the global order is changing
“A new world order is taking shape. Finland must define its place and goals within it. How committed are we to defending and renewing democracy? We need to invest in reliable information, opportunities for people to participate and democratic innovations.” (Sitra 2026)
Today, political influence and power are often exercised through technological means. Society is more connected than ever before, and the average citizen now has a stronger voice. Social media makes it possible to share ideas, influence public debate, and build audiences quickly and at very low cost. In many ways, this is positive, because it allows more people to participate in democratic discussion through technology.
At the same time, the same channels are used to spread misinformation. Just this week, Yle, for example, reported on Sitra’s new study, which found that the nature of social media discussions can be a threat to democracy. Fake news is produced and distributed continuously using bot networks and artificial intelligence, shaping opinions both visibly and subtly. It is often difficult to distinguish false information from reliable news. How can we protect ourselves from misinformation without using technology to counter it? In the future, we will likely see more regulation and monitoring in this area, supported by technological solutions, most likely with the help of AI.
Data is the new oil
Data and data centres have also become the new oil. Technology companies are accumulating both computing capacity and user data to win the global competition against their rivals. Power struggles have already emerged, for example, between the European Union and large US technology companies. Who will ultimately prevail in these contests?
In the near future, we will likely see increasing tensions between these actors. At the same time, domestic and European solutions may become more popular as some organizations move away from US-based services. The success of the Finnish and European software sector would benefit us all.
One of the most important themes in the industry today is digital sovereignty. Due to the current geopolitical situation, Europe can no longer fully rely on software and technological solutions developed outside the continent. Both Europe and Finland must invest more in their own services and software products in order to remain digitally independent.
At the moment, we are critically dependent on solutions from countries whose technologies could potentially be used as political leverage. Without these systems, many services essential to democracy and society would not function. Government systems and software should therefore be moved under European, and preferably Finnish, service providers in order to safeguard the continuity of society and democracy.
Nature and resources: the environmental crisis requires adaptation
“We have exceeded the limits of nature’s carrying capacity, and the consequences of climate change and biodiversity loss are intensifying. How can we reform our society so that it enhances the vitality of nature? Opportunities can be found in the circular economy, the enhancement of natural capital, renewable energy, and nature-based health services.” (Sitra 2026)
The IT industry is often seen as relatively distant from emissions. Working in an air-conditioned office feels far removed from the noise and smoke of a factory floor. It is easy to forget that running the servers required to operate software consumes significant amounts of electricity, not to mention the emissions generated in manufacturing that hardware.
Modern AI applications require significantly more computing power than many previous generations of software solutions. Fortunately, trends such as green IT and FinOps have emerged in the industry to help optimize both costs and emissions, which often go hand in hand. Every organization should take a moment to examine its IT infrastructure from both cost and sustainability perspectives.
Green options to the forefront
It is likely that emissions from the software industry will decrease, at least partly, through cost optimization. We may also see a growing shift toward greener infrastructure choices, such as data centres powered entirely by renewable energy. Purchasing refurbished equipment can also reduce the need for new manufacturing.
Customers, especially in the public sector, can play a significant role in driving these changes by prioritizing green IT solutions in their procurement decisions.
Technology and the economy: AI and emerging technologies are accelerating change
“Artificial intelligence (AI) challenges knowledge institutions such as research, education and decision-making. How do we learn to use AI, and how will it affect society? When used responsibly, technology offers many opportunities. Applied AI can improve productivity and create competitive advantage. The combined use of disruptive technologies is a significant strategic opportunity for Finland.” (Sitra 2026)
In a highly developed society like Finland, especially when targeting export markets, it makes sense to focus on products and services that are highly produced and create high value. Everything else is simply too expensive to produce.
Finland’s economic growth has been slow for a long time, often looking back nostalgically at a past that will not return. Now is the time for us, as a nation, to take action and begin to build new growth through artificial intelligence and other technologies.
New inventions, services, and companies require capital. In Finland, this often seems to be one of the biggest bottlenecks. Many companies try to survive within the small domestic market for too long, and results come too slowly.
In Estonia, for example, this challenge is different. The domestic market there is simply too small for most software products, which forces entrepreneurs to internationalize their solutions from the very beginning. Finnish entrepreneurs should also aim to enter international markets as soon as possible, both to sell their products and to raise capital for further growth.
“One thing, however, is clear: Finland will rise through technology.”
Finnish expertise needs to be utilized and encouraged
Successful Finnish entrepreneurs can also strengthen the local ecosystem by acting as angel investors. This helps keep capital within the country and supports the development of new solutions for global markets.
In reality, Finland does not lack technical expertise. What we need more of is capital and strong sales capabilities.
We are a nation of engineers who can certainly build the necessary solutions once we decide to move forward. But we also need skilled salespeople and marketers to successfully commercialize these innovations.
One thing, however, is clear: Finland will rise through technology.
