Artificial intelligence (AI) Reshaping Enterprise Growth: Uneven Sectoral Impact in 2026

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly emerging as a “strategic assistant” for enterprises in governance and operations. However, according to a survey by Vietnam Report, the level of impact varies across industries: the financial–banking sector is expected to undergo the fastest transformation, while real estate and construction may experience a slower pace of change.

A survey conducted by Vietnam Report JSC indicates that 64.3% of enterprises identify “stable growth and efficiency optimization” as their key objective for 2026.

From a corporate perspective, leadership and governance capabilities—the “control center” of an organization—are considered the most prominent advantage underpinning growth in 2026, with 44.4% of respondents selecting this factor. In an increasingly volatile business environment, the ability to make swift decisions and allocate resources effectively has become a decisive determinant of corporate success.

Operational efficiency and cost control rank next, enabling businesses to protect profit margins and build buffers against potential risks. In addition, innovation and brand reputation are recognized as core strengths that help companies move beyond price-based competition and sustain stable growth momentum in the market.

In practice, strengthening these advantages is becoming increasingly intertwined with technological capabilities. If leadership and governance act as the “control center,” then technology—particularly data analytics and automation tools—serves as the enabling system that enhances the speed and accuracy of decision-making.

Against this backdrop, AI is emerging as a critical tool for enterprises to realize these objectives. Beyond automating operational processes, AI unlocks the ability to analyze large-scale data, personalize products and services, and improve decision-making effectiveness.

Nevertheless, AI’s impact is not uniform across industries. It depends on factors such as business models, the level of digitalization, and data utilization capabilities. As a result, some sectors are expected to experience more profound transformations than others.

According to business assessments, the financial–banking sector is likely to be the most significantly affected by AI in the next year. Approximately 40.7% of enterprises believe AI will have a substantial impact, while 19.4% anticipate fundamental changes in how the sector operates. This industry benefits from high technological maturity, large volumes of structured data, and is well-suited for applications such as credit scoring, fraud detection, customer service chatbots, and customer behavior analytics. Consequently, AI not only optimizes operations but also directly reshapes the delivery of financial services.

Most enterprises believe that in manufacturing and consumer sectors, AI has an impact but is not yet transformative. In manufacturing, AI is increasingly applied in predictive maintenance, production line automation, and defect detection through computer vision.

Meanwhile, in consumer industries, AI is primarily used for customer behavior analysis, marketing personalization, demand forecasting, and supply chain optimization. However, the level of adoption varies depending on company size and digital maturity, resulting in uneven impacts across the sector.

Notably, in the real estate, construction, and building materials sectors, a relatively high proportion of enterprises (40.9%) believe AI will not generate significant impact within the next year. Fragmented and non-standardized data remains a key barrier, limiting the short-term effectiveness of AI integration.

Entering 2026—the first year of the 2026–2030 Socio-Economic Development Plan—achieving a growth “leap” will require structural improvements in productivity, capital quality, governance, and institutions, alongside co-creation between the public and private sectors. In this process, Vietnam’s fastest-growing enterprises, represented by the FAST500, not only reflect the economy’s growth trajectory but also signal a shift in how growth is being generated.

These “innovation nuclei”—as pioneers in productivity enhancement, technology adoption, and the development of high value-added business models—are playing a pivotal role in shaping the next phase of economic development, paving the way for a more dynamic and sustainable growth trajectory for Vietnam in the new era.

According to Markettimes

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