HONG KONG, 20 January 2026 — A new survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) shows that 37% of Asia Pacific chief executives intend to expand beyond their traditional industry boundaries over the next three years, seeking growth in adjacent sectors such as technology, health services, and logistics. The findings are based on PwC’s 29th Global CEO Survey, which gathered responses from 4,454 CEOs worldwide, including 1,766 in the region.
Artificial intelligence has emerged as a key driver of performance. Nearly four in ten Asia Pacific CEOs reported AI-driven revenue gains over the past year, while 26% cited cost reductions. Companies with stronger AI capabilities were twice as likely to see both revenue increases and cost savings, according to the study.
Despite the growth ambitions, near-term confidence has softened. Only 21% of Asia Pacific CEOs expressed high confidence in revenue prospects for 2026, down from 34% the previous year. Cybersecurity was identified as the top risk in the region, surpassing economic pressures, while most CEOs said tariffs would have minimal effect on profit margins in the coming year.
