68% of mid-market firms believe automation and AI are the key to UK productivity

UK mid-market prioritises technical integration and automation critical to outpace competitors.

London, UK - 3rd September, 2025 – New research from global IT services provider Thinc reveals a wave of enthusiasm for automation and artificial intelligence among the UK’s mid-market.

As mid-market companies (50-249 employees) scale, many are now turning to new AI-driven tools and automated processes as they try to widen their already prominent productivity lead. But doing this in isolation does not work, according to the experts at Thinc. Only when the application of AI is integrated with core systems can it support real business goals.

Leadership-driven, technically grounded

68% of IT decision-makers in mid-market firms believe AI and automation have a critical role in solving their current business challenges. CEOs have emerged as the most aggressive proponents, with 74% of them seeing it as either “game-changer” or just needing expert input to improve efficiency.

Those in technical and operational IT roles show slightly more caution, with 42% seeing its potential as game-changing. Though dedicated IT roles express support in general, it is often tempered by a focus on responsible implementation and infrastructure readiness. This dynamic reveals a healthy tension: executive vision driving innovation and technical leadership ensuring strategic execution.

Commenting on the findings, Dominic Ball, Managing Director and Co-owner at Thinc, said: “Mid-market organisations have the ambition and agility to make AI work. The challenge is not their appetite for risk; it’s execution on smaller budgets. Those who get it right will not only scale successfully but set the pace for the rest of the economy.”

Balancing opportunity and uncertainty in automation adoption

The mid-market’s enthusiasm for growing productivity is well-founded - it already represents the most productive segment of UK businesses, with the average turnover per employee 5.7% higher at mid-sized businesses than the UK average. These sized organisations are both large enough to invest meaningfully in automation yet nimble enough to deploy it quickly.

Leaders know that legacy systems and manual processes won’t suffice; AI offers a vital path to sustained productivity and competitive advantage. Despite this momentum, many firms face hesitancy. Only 44% seek to invest in automation and AI to combat increased IT demand or workload.

“This inertia is compounded by information overload. Businesses are constantly being told to jump on the AI bus or be left behind. But that urgency isn’t helpful nor realistic for every SME,” explains Ball.

“Automation is where organisations will see the true benefits of AI, but it’s not something you can switch on like a light. You first need to get your digital core in order to ensure your systems are aligned and integrated – then, you can begin to automate the processes that rely on this data. Working with a technology provider that understands how real businesses work is the best way to unlock the productivity that automation offers.”