Why UK supply chains are accelerating AI adoption
UK supply chain organisations are turning to artificial intelligence more rapidly than the global norm as they navigate increasingly complex rules across international markets. Independent research from IDC, commissioned by Kinaxis, indicates that Brexit-related changes may be an important factor behind the trend.
More than one quarter of UK supply chain professionals identify cross-border regulatory complexity as the main reason their organisations are accelerating AI use in supply chain decisions. Only inflation ranks higher among the UK’s reported drivers. The regulatory figure is well above the 16% global average and contrasts sharply with Germany, where 10% of respondents cite it as their leading factor.
AI as an operational response
Since the UK left the European Union in 2020, companies operating from Britain have had to manage a more demanding compliance environment than many neighbouring European businesses. AI can help teams process changing requirements, compare scenarios and support faster decisions across planning, sourcing and logistics. Its value, however, depends on the quality of the information used and on clear controls around the resulting recommendations.
The wider IDC study, “Making Supply Chain AI Accountable”, surveyed more than 2,000 supply chain leaders in nine markets. It found that AI capability is now almost universal: only 2% of organisations report having no such capabilities. Yet adoption does not mean that companies are comfortable delegating decisions to software. Just 12% describe themselves as AI leaders, while the same proportion say governance for AI-led decisions is fully embedded.
Trust remains the adoption bottleneck
Worldwide, 52% of respondents identify trust as the biggest obstacle to faster AI adoption. That concern places explainability, audit trails and human accountability alongside performance on the technology investment agenda. Justin King, Field CTO at Kinaxis, said the central issue is no longer whether companies will adopt AI, but whether it can produce trusted, measurable and governed outcomes. He pointed to the company’s Maestro platform as an example of a system designed to make recommendations explainable and auditable before action is taken.
UK companies also appear less confident about their current position. Nearly 23% classify their AI maturity as early-stage or uncertain, compared with 16% in both the United States and India. For industrial businesses, the message is twofold: regulatory pressure is making automation more urgent, but robust governance will determine whether faster adoption delivers dependable operational results.
