14:32, 07 February 2026

Expert Says the IT Market Will Stop Expanding Broadly in 2026

Growth is set to shift from large-scale expansion to pragmatic development, with customers focusing on practical value and measurable results.

Oleg Abrashin, director of N3.Tech Corporate Solutions, has shared his expert assessment of how Russia’s IT market is expected to evolve in 2026.

He said the Russian IT market will continue to grow in 2026, but at a more restrained pace, moving away from rapid scaling toward pragmatic development. Customers are sharpening their focus on practical benefits and measurable outcomes.

“By 2026, artificial intelligence will fully move beyond the experimental phase. We are seeing growth in projects involving generative AI, especially in internal automation, intelligent assistants, and faster software development. AI is becoming a working tool embedded in everyday processes,” Abrashin said.

Import Substitution Is Changing

According to the expert’s forecast, the process of import substitution in 2026 will increasingly take the form of fine-tuning existing systems rather than wholesale replacement.

“Customers are assessing risks and addressing them step by step instead of pursuing radical changes. This logic is confirmed by broader market practice: domestic products are increasingly used in procurement and automation, but real integration takes time, optimization, and adaptation to business needs. For example, according to an industry study by the Association of Managers, around 80 percent of Russian companies already use domestic IT solutions in procurement, but this happens gradually and in line with actual corporate needs,” the expert explained.

A Systematic Approach to Data

Abrashin said that in 2026, systematic work with data will become a key element of customers’ digital strategies. This is based on the IT company’s experience working with large clients in agriculture, energy, and transportation.

“Data integration, the creation of manageable ‘digital contours,’ and improvements in data quality are becoming mandatory conditions for sustainable automation and analytics, and the foundation for AI-driven business transformation,” the analyst said.

Overall, 2026 will mark a period of pragmatic IT. The focus will be on efficiency, solution maturity, architectural manageability, practical use of artificial intelligence, and real system security. Those players that can operate quickly, with engineering precision and predictability, will gain the advantage, the expert concluded.

Digital economy