The AI Gap Between Large Companies and SMEs Is Widening

Switzerland is one of the leading locations for AI development. In the business world, however, the picture regarding AI adoption is mixed: While large companies have already integrated artificial intelligence into their value creation processes, many SMEs are still limited to individual applications. As a result, the AI gap is widening—with potential consequences for Switzerland as a business location.

This is shown in the new «Point of View – AI Toolkit: Switzerland Snapshot,» for which BDO analyzed national and international studies. The analysis shows that only a portion of companies have so far succeeded in making the transition from individual applications to company-wide and permanently established use—with clear differences emerging between large companies and SMEs.

A Growing Challenge for Switzerland as a Business Hub

While Adecco, for example, has increased productivity in recruiting by 63 percent and ABB has achieved cost reductions of up to 35 percent in certain areas, SMEs often get stuck in the pilot phase. «SMEs lack the human and financial resources to build their own AI capabilities on a large scale. In many cases, they also lack a high-quality data foundation or simply the time to systematically test new solutions. Added to this are uncertainties regarding data protection and the concrete economic benefits,» says Thomas Studhalter, CEO of BDO.

The growing AI gap between SMEs and large corporations affects not only individual businesses but also Switzerland as a business location as a whole. Studhalter warns: «If it is primarily large corporations that build up AI expertise and infrastructure, a large portion of data-driven innovation will shift to a few well-capitalized players. This weakens the traditional Swiss model, in which specialized SMEs are key drivers of innovation in mechanical engineering, niche industries, and the service sector.»

Switzerland has one of the highest concentrations of AI talent in Europe

There is no shortage of favorable conditions in this country. Compared to other European countries, Switzerland has one of the highest densities of AI specialists per capita. Universities, research institutes, and technology companies are among the world’s best in many fields.

The challenge, then, lies less in the availability of talent than in making effective use of that knowledge. «Some of the talent is concentrated in research institutions, technology companies, and large corporations. At the same time, large companies can often offer more attractive working conditions when competing for skilled workers. Both of these factors make it more difficult for SMEs to access the necessary AI expertise,» says Studhalter.

How SMEs Can Keep Up

BDO is convinced that the path to successful AI adoption does not begin with large investments, but with clear priorities. Instead of launching as many pilot projects as possible at once, SMEs should select a few specific use cases with measurable benefits and implement them consistently. It is crucial that AI not be viewed as purely an IT issue, but rather as a strategic task for senior management.

Source: BDO