Key Takeaways
- Explores BARC and Actian research on data product adoption trends.
- Examines adoption patterns across industries and regions.
- Highlights practices used by leading data and AI organizations.
- Shows how mature data product strategies support AI progress.
Chapters
In 2024, data products were a concept most enterprises were just beginning to explore. By 2026, they are the defining characteristic of organizations that lead in AI. The shift happened faster than almost anyone predicted.
New global research from Actian and BARC surveyed over 300 enterprise data leaders. In 2024, 48% of organizations had some form of data product in place. By 2026, just 13 months later, that number had jumped to 69%.
And among organizations that identify themselves as data leaders, the figure is 93%. The adoption is not uniform. Regulated industries, insurance and financial services are ahead of the curve.
The data governance requirements they already face made them early movers. North America has a meaningful lead over Europe in deployment maturity, though the gap is closing. Manufacturing and professional services are accelerating quickly.
This is the moment when a practice moves from competitive advantage to table stakes. The organizations that adopt now will build a compounding lead in AI capability. The ones that delay are not just behind, they are falling further behind every quarter.
The full BARC and Actian research breaks down adoption by industry, region, and company size, and shows what organizations at 93% are doing differently.
Find out where your organization stands. Download the full report at actian.com/research.
