New data reveals key insights on accelerating AI investment, technology planning, and a widening focus on strategic IT investment.
SNZweig, the first integrated advisory platform built for AEC firms, has released its 2026 Information Technology Report of AEC Firms, providing architecture, engineering, and construction firms with the latest benchmarks on IT spending, staffing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, technology strategy, and more.
This year’s findings point to an industry investing heavily in technology while still working to build the strategies, processes, and workforce readiness needed to maximize those investments.
Key findings from the 2026 report include:
- Software dominates IT spending. Software accounts for 36.7% of IT budgets, while training receives just 0.8%, raising questions about whether investment in employee adoption and utilization is keeping pace with technology purchases.
- Formal technology planning remains limited. Only 8% of firms have a regularly updated, enterprise-wide technology roadmap, suggesting that technology investments are outpacing formal strategic planning.
- IT investment varies with financial performance. The median AEC firm budgets 3.5% of net service revenue for IT, with higher-profit firms reporting greater IT spending as a percentage of revenue than lower-profit firms.
- AI adoption remains early despite widespread exploration. Only 6% of firms have fully embedded AI into operations, while 54% are actively exploring its use.
- AI and automation lead future investment priorities. Seventy-nine percent of firms plan significant investments in AI and automation in 2026.
From AI integration to cybersecurity strategy and IT investment, the 2026 Information Technology Report gives AEC leaders the benchmarks and insights they need to identify gaps, evaluate priorities, and make more confident technology decisions.
