8-in-10 British businesses seek growth, powered by AI

SAP has launched its Supercharging Growth with AI in the UK - a Pathway for High-Growth Businesses report, which considers the scale-up opportunities and challenges facing UK businesses in 2025.

Published as the UK accelerates efforts to position itself as a hub for global innovation and enterprise growth, SAP’s report shows that as many as 8-in-10 businesses are prioritising growth over improving customer experiences. In addition, over a third (37%) have suggested that they will be turning to technology to help them manage their spending and increase automation across their businesses.

Spotlighting the value of AI

AI is a recurring theme throughout SAP’s report as UK high-growth businesses indicate that it is critical to long-term growth, with data highlighting:

92% rank the adoption of standard AI applications as a high or medium priority in the next 12 months

A similar number (91%) are actively exploring the use of emerging applications like generative AI

39% are prioritising AI-led business automation this year

1-in-2 are actively investing in advanced analytics to refine their decision-making capabilities

The UK’s high-growth organisations have also highlighted AI’s role in addressing macro-barriers to growth, like supply chain issues. As many as 91% see closing supply chain gaps as a pressing priority and 39% rank supply chain disruptions as one of the top three business challenges in 2025. To that end, more than 1-in-3 (37%) are turning to AI and automation to help them weather economic uncertainty and build supply chain resilience.

"AI is revolutionising the renewable energy sector, driving smarter decisions and operational efficiency to support growth and resilience," said Simon Duckett, Chief Digital Officer at Sonnedix, a global renewable energy producer and SAP customer. "In a rapidly evolving market, AI's predictive models and advanced analytics help us strengthen our supply chain, adapt to economic uncertainty, and seize new opportunities. By combining cutting-edge technology with human innovation, AI ensures we remain agile and prepared to scale and adapt to change sustainably.”

Digital immaturity remains a barrier to growth

But digital immaturity, in terms of talent, data and infrastructure readiness, continues to hold back successful AI implementation and opportunities for growth.

SAP’s report shows that legacy technology was cited by 27% of UK high-growth organisations as a key barrier to scale, underscoring the difficulty of integrating cutting-edge solutions into outdated systems. Talent gaps further amplify the problem, with more than one third (34%) struggling to attract and retain professionals with the expertise needed to harness AI effectively. That’s why 40% now prioritise skills development as a cornerstone of their growth strategy.

Data continues to be highlighted as a key growth obstacle. As many as 1-in-3 indicate that insufficient datasets are hindering AI model training, while 34% point to poor data and limited planning tools as significant barriers to progress.

"Addressing barriers to growth, like digital immaturity, must be a priority for the UK’s high-growth organisations if they wish to reach their potential,” said Wesley Doyle, Head of New Business, Corporate, SAP UKI. “As our report shows, many have identified AI as the key that unlocks business agility, resilience and efficiency, and enables innovation at scale. As we look ahead to 2025 and beyond, organisations that make bold moves in AI will position themselves to flourish in today’s data-driven economy and lead the way in shaping the UK’s growth agenda."