United States
AI scale meets physical infrastructure
Investment appetite is high, but electricity, data-centre capacity and geography increasingly matter to the next phase of AI growth.
Flagship research · Meridian audience survey programme
Global Business Outlook 2026: Where AI, Industry and Investment Are Colliding
Business audiences across five markets and regions point to a powerful investment cycle shaped by AI, infrastructure, manufacturing, energy, skills and changing patterns of international growth.
Published 13 September 2026 · Last reviewed 13 September 2026 · Global Markets Review Research Desk
The research question
What is shaping business investment in each market?
Germany
Automation meets industrial cost pressure
Manufacturers remain constructive on capacity and automation while energy costs and technical recruitment remain material constraints.
Netherlands
Semiconductor strength meets grid scarcity
Respondents remain confident in the Dutch technology position, but available power can directly affect the pace of investment.
Czech Republic
Factory investment meets export diversification
Germany remains central, yet respondents also point toward wider Western European, US and Gulf opportunities.
GCC
Confidence meets accelerating AI adoption
Regional confidence is strong, business conditions are improving and companies are increasingly reporting measurable returns from AI.
Market profiles
Market survey findings · sample size 14,726
United States
The strongest US signal is the scale of expected AI investment and the importance respondents place on the physical infrastructure needed to support it.
81%
High or very high confidence that the US will remain the world's leading AI economy over the next five years.
90%
Expect spending on AI compute, software and infrastructure to increase over the next three years.
63%
Expect that AI compute, software and infrastructure spending increase to exceed 20%.
74%
Rate affordable electricity as very significant or critical to future AI and data-centre investment.
24%
Select Texas as the strongest overall US business-growth opportunity over the next five years.
27%
Select California as the strongest state for AI and advanced technology investment, ahead of Texas at 21%.
California27%
Texas21%
Virginia10%
New York9%
Massachusetts8%
Chart uses the US state-level AI and advanced technology opportunity question.
Specialist follow-up: American Commerce Review research · American Commerce Review
Market survey findings · sample size 5,732
Germany
Germany's results show a manufacturing base that remains willing to invest, while energy costs and skilled recruitment continue to sit directly against that expansion case.
66%
Are optimistic or very optimistic about the competitiveness of German manufacturing over the next five years.
66%
Expect their German manufacturing capacity to increase over the next three years.
72%
Rate industrial automation as very significant or critical to capital investment over the next three years.
67%
Are very or extremely concerned about German industrial energy costs.
75%
Describe recruitment of engineering, technical and skilled manufacturing talent as difficult or very difficult.
48%
Are likely or very likely to expand production elsewhere in Europe while retaining German operations.
Automation important72%
Energy cost concern67%
Technical hiring difficult75%
Capacity expected to rise66%
Each bar represents a separate Germany survey question.
Specialist follow-up: German Business Review research · German Business Review
Market survey findings · sample size 2,164
Netherlands
The Dutch data is coherent around one constraint: respondents see semiconductors and AI infrastructure as important to growth, but power availability can determine how quickly that investment occurs.
82%
Rate semiconductor and AI-infrastructure investment as very important or critical to Dutch economic growth over the next five years.
78%
Are optimistic or very optimistic that the Netherlands will retain a leading position in the global semiconductor ecosystem.
67%
Rate power-grid constraints as very significant or a critical constraint to future data-centre and AI-infrastructure growth.
79%
Say greater availability of power capacity would probably or definitely accelerate technology investment.
58%
Expect compute, cloud or AI-infrastructure investment to increase by more than 20% over the next three years.
76%
Are likely or very likely to increase R&D spending over the next 12 months.
Semiconductor and AI importance82%
Semiconductor position optimism78%
Grid constraint significance67%
Power would accelerate investment79%
Each bar represents a separate Netherlands survey question.
Specialist follow-up: Dutch Semiconductor Supply Chain · Dutch Semiconductor Role Finder · Dutch Business Review
Market survey findings · sample size 1,983
Czech Republic
The Czech results show a business base still closely tied to Germany, while respondents also signal a clear intention to broaden export markets and continue factory, automation and logistics investment.
71%
Rate Germany as very important or critical to their company's growth outlook.
68%
Are likely or very likely to diversify exports beyond Germany and Central Europe.
77%
Rate the Czech Republic as attractive or very attractive for new manufacturing investment.
77%
Are likely or very likely to increase investment in factories, automation or logistics over the next 24 months.
74%
Describe recruitment of skilled technical and engineering staff as difficult or very difficult.
27%
Select Western Europe as the greatest new export opportunity, followed by the United States at 22% and the Gulf / Middle East at 17%.
Western Europe27%
United States22%
Gulf / Middle East17%
Central & Eastern Europe14%
Asia-Pacific12%
India8%
Chart reports the Czech survey distribution for greatest new export opportunity.
Specialist follow-up: Czech Company Ranking Comparator · Czech Business Review research · Czech Business Review
Regional survey findings · sample size 9,714
GCC
Across the GCC, respondents report strong confidence in the region's economic trajectory, improving conditions for doing business and measurable returns from AI adoption, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE standing out as the leading opportunity markets.
85%
Report high or very high confidence in the GCC economy.
82%
Expect 2027 to be a better year for business than 2026.
74%
Say doing business across the region has become easier.
61%
Report that AI adoption is already producing measurable returns.
43%
Say AI has reduced hiring requirements, while 79% report that it has not eliminated positions.
55%
Expect AI to increase total employment over time.
Saudi Arabia38%
United Arab Emirates34%
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the two leading markets in the regional opportunity question.
Specialist follow-up: Gulf Business Review research · Gulf AI Infrastructure Project Stage Checker · Gulf Business Review
Markets covered: United States, Germany, Netherlands, Czech Republic and the GCC.
Sample sizes: United States 14,726; Germany 5,732; Netherlands 2,164; Czech Republic 1,983; GCC 9,714.
What comes next
GMR compares the investment story. Specialist publications own the local detail.
This page is the network-level gateway to the research programme. Dedicated analysis can go deeper through American Commerce Review, German Business Review, Dutch Business Review, Czech Business Review and Gulf Business Review, while GMR maintains the international comparison layer.
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Frequently asked questions
How large was the research programme?
The five market and regional surveys covered stated samples of 14,726 respondents in the United States, 5,732 in Germany, 2,164 in the Netherlands, 1,983 in the Czech Republic and 9,714 across the GCC.
What does the GCC research show?
The GCC survey points to strong regional economic confidence, improving business conditions and growing evidence of measurable AI returns. Saudi Arabia and the UAE lead the opportunity question, while a majority of respondents expect AI to increase total employment over time.
Will dedicated country reports be published?
Yes. The next stage is to develop specialist market reports across the Meridian Review Group publication network, with Global Markets Review maintaining the international comparison layer.