Digital Trends Report 2026

The next decade will not be defined by new technology, but by how existing capabilities are structured into a working system. Across European TSOs, the tools are already in place. AI pilots have been run. Data platforms exist. Investments have been made. Yet outcomes differ significantly. We’ve found that the reason is structural and can be described as a sequencing problem.

This report presents fourteen trends shaping digital transformation across European TSOs — as a layered system with clear dependencies.



It is important to note that the layers themselves aren’t sequential and that the application of each trend and the priority of implementing these trends differs per organisation. However, it is only logical that in a theoretical environment, the layers can be sequenced.

Data enables technology. Organisation determines whether either delivers lasting value.

Across European TSOs, a clear shift is visible. The industry is moving from technology-led digitalisation to governance-driven transformation. Where the bottleneck used to be capabilities, it is data ownership, deployment pathways, and organisational structures that sustain value.

At the same time, regulatory pressure is accelerating all layers simultaneously. We’ve identified the following signals to back this up:

*More than 50% of grid infrastructure is over 20 years old
*AI moves 2.4× faster to production in governed environments
*Workforce constraints are now the primary barrier
* Regulation has become binding, not directional

These signals are converging — creating unprecedented structural pressure. At the same time, the report found a key finding that should be considered before trying to sequence and prioritise these trends; it is not the technology that’s missing, but the work to analyse how the technology was designed that the organisational foundation was built on. Only then can it be identified how the organisations needs differ from what the technology can do. Without this, implementation of a digital transformation stays fragmented and isolated.

And we want to be clear; implementing a digital transformation holistically and completely is not just a nice to have or a good target, but a must. Several legal frameworks are already in place and in effect that require implementation across these layers simultaneously.



To get there, we’ve identified four structural decisions that need to be taken prior to the start of a digital transformation project. With these decisions, we see the creation of a systemic approach to all trends, in the right order, specific to your organisation.

We’d like to help your organisation understand what the right sequence is, what questions need to be answered to take these four structural decisions to make your digital transformation possible.

The report shows where we believe the challenges lie, and what the solution is. The digital transformation is needed, with urgency, but it’s possible with the right understanding of how each element affects your organsition.