State of Utility 2026 – trend report: Utility Sectors Invest Heavily in Digitalisation

Companies in the water, energy and waste sectors are currently investing heavily in digitalisation. This is shown in a new “State of Utility” report from Lime Technologies. The report is the first of its kind and gives a unique insight into how critical infrastructure companies in Northern Europe are tackling the challenges of the future.

State of Utility 2026 – trend report brings you 52 pages of fresh data,
insights and comments on what’s shaping the utility industry.

Download the full report

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Lime Technologies has released its “State of Utility” report for the first time. Based on survey responses from over 240 people working in the energy, water, and waste sectors in the Nordics and Germany, the report gives a detailed view of trends, challenges, and opportunities in these industries.

– For the first time ever, we can show a clear picture of what these sectors are prioritising, both in terms of actual investments and the challenges they need to address. It is an exciting report that provides a broad and detailed insight into critical sectors across Northern Europe, says Svante Holm, Sales Manager for Utility at Lime Technologies.

The report confirms that digitalisation and a stronger customer focus are seen as two vital factors for companies in these sectors. At the same time, it shows large differences in how advanced companies are in different countries.

Key insights from the report

Digitalisation and IT are seen as the most underdeveloped areas across all sectors, and these are the areas seeing the largest investments right now.
Lack of resources and organisational barriers – not technology – are what slow progress down.
Investment in digitalisation and new technology is seen as the single most important area for improvement to meet customer expectations in the future.

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Digitalisation focus strongest in the energy sector

It is mainly companies in the energy sector that are investing in digitalisation and IT – a sector where customer data, user experience, and customer interaction are central to daily operations.

– Their customers have high expectations and little patience, which pushes the energy sector to digitalise. We see that companies want to develop, but struggle to take the next step, says Dennis Gustafsson, Business Unit Manager for Utility at Lime Technologies.

Want to see what “the next step” can look like in practice
and how Lime helps energy teams get there?

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What is the report based on?

The report is based on 242 survey responses from people working in the energy, water, and waste sectors in the Nordics and Germany. In addition to the survey, in-depth interviews were carried out with representatives from all sectors.

The report is the first of its kind and provides a broad and detailed view of the challenges and opportunities facing Northern European companies in these sectors in 2026 and beyond.

Access the full report here

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