Key findings:
- Annual survey of 200 buy-side executives shows significant increase in AI adoption compared to the same time last year.
- For the first time in three years, innovation has become the leading driver of technology and operations investments.
- Firms consider vendor stability the top priority when selecting third-party AI solutions for their investment management.
- Belief that private markets and alternative investments are poised for technological innovation has risen sharply over the past 12 months.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Jan. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 70 percent of buy-side firms are successfully employing Artificial Intelligence to support their front office, according to a new global study commissioned by SimCorp, a global leader in financial technology.
This finding marks a significant increase from last year's report, which showed only about 10 percent of respondents were actively exploring AI tools. At the time, 75 percent recognized AI's potential, but they still needed guidance on how to integrate it.
These findings, published in the 2026 InvestOps Report, draw on responses from 200 executives at asset managers, pension funds and insurance companies worldwide. The respondents were surveyed by WBR Insights to identify their technology priorities and challenges heading into 2026.
"AI adoption has dramatically shifted from pilots to business-critical applications in the front office," said Peter Sanderson, Chief Executive Officer, SimCorp. "The advancements in AI can deliver the most value for investment professionals to enhance decision-making and efficiency when it is underpinned by a centrally governed and unified data layer."
The new report also finds that consolidating technology vendors and platforms (58%) and modernizing technology architecture and data infrastructure (54%) are the top technology initiatives for buy-side firms - both are essential for scaling AI, automating investment workflows and simplifying tech stacks.
"I'm not surprised to see 58 percent of firms in this survey choosing vendor and platform consolidation as a technology initiative," added Sanderson. "It's the first step toward bringing all their data together so they can have better control, trust their information, see their entire portfolio clearly, and use AI to gain insights."
Innovation overtakes operational efficiency as top strategic technology priority
For the first time in three years, achieving competitive differentiation through innovation (55%) has surpassed operational efficiency (33%) and controlling operating costs (44%) as the leading driver of technology and operations investments for 2026.
With AI adoption maturing across investment managers, vendor stability (57%) ranks as the most important criterion when evaluating AI solutions for their investment management - ahead of features. As proprietary data often flows into AI models, firms require that vendors have robust data governance and cybersecurity in place and are seeking partners capable of supporting these requirements.
The top factors when evaluating AI solutions for investment management were:
- Vendor stability (57%) - Established providers with enterprise support.
- Innovation access (54%) - Early beta features for competitive advantage.
- Analytical flexibility (47%) - Probabilistic outputs for research and insights.
- Proven ROI (45%) - Demonstrated return metrics before scaling deployments.
- Governance framework (40%) - Comprehensive documentation and regulatory alignment.
- Regulatory compliance (35%) - Deterministic, auditable outputs for compliance use cases.
- Investment appetite (24%) - Premium pricing for advanced capabilities.
Looking ahead, respondents ranked AI, generative AI, and advanced analytics (72%) as the area offering the greatest opportunity for technological innovation. Another area poised for innovation is within alternative investments where operational complexity and fragmented data often result in limited automation. Over the past 12 months, the number of respondents who believe private markets & alternative investments offer the greatest opportunity for technological innovation has grown by 24 percentage points, reaching 51 percent in 2026 compared to 27 percent in 2025.
As private market allocations continue to rise, firms that invest in best-in-class technology capabilities for alternatives can gain operational leverage through higher straight-through processing rates, allowing them to focus on evaluating the best investment opportunities rather than manual reconciliations.
To that end, SimCorp launched SimCorp Alternatives last year, a comprehensive offering designed to serve the needs of all alternative investment firms. It builds on SimCorp's existing alternatives offering, already trusted by some of the world's largest asset owners.
To learn more about the findings of the 2026 InvestOps Report and to access the full report, click here.
Survey methodology
The 2026 Global InvestOps Report surveyed 200 senior executives and operations leaders from asset managers, insurers, and pension funds across North America, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific, each managing at least USD 10 billion in AUM. Respondents included C-suite representatives and other senior leaders. The survey was conducted by WBR Insights, an independent research firm.
About SimCorp
SimCorp is a provider of industry-leading integrated investment management solutions for the global buy side.
Founded in 1971, with more than 3,500 employees across five continents, SimCorp is a truly global technology leader that empowers more than half of the world's top 100 financial companies through its integrated platform, services, and partner ecosystem.
The Axioma analytics suite provides comprehensive factor risk models, multi-asset enterprise risk management, portfolio construction, and regulatory reporting solutions. SimCorp is a subsidiary of Deutsche Börse Group.
For more information, please visit www.simcorp.com
Media Contact: Søren Rathlou Top, Global PR Manager at SimCorp, +45 31 15 87 06, Srat@simcorp.com
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
More than two-thirds of investment managers prominently using AI to support front office, SimCorp study reveals
- PROCOMER carried out an investment promotion mission in both Asian markets to position Costa Rica as a strategic platform for regional operations.
SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its strategy to diversify the sources of foreign direct investment (FDI) flowing into the country, the Trade and Investment Promotion Agency of Costa Rica (PROCOMER) conducted an investment promotion mission to South Korea and Japan aimed at strengthening relationships with companies already operating in Costa Rica while positioning the country as a strategic platform for regional business expansion.
The mission included meetings with multinational companies, investors, and business organizations, as well as the Costa Rica Investment Day Seoul 2026 and Costa Rica Investment Day Tokyo 2026 events, which brought together more than 75 business and institutional representatives from both markets. The visit took place at a time when Asian companies are accelerating the diversification of their supply chains and evaluating new locations to strengthen their international operations. Against this backdrop, Costa Rica continues to reinforce its positioning as a competitive investment destination, supported by key advantages including a highly skilled and growing talent pool, political and economic stability, sustainability, legal certainty, and preferential access to major international markets.
"Asia represents a strategic opportunity to diversify the origins of foreign direct investment in Costa Rica. South Korea and Japan are home to globally recognized companies in manufacturing, technology, logistics, and business services, all of which maintain significant international investment capacity. Strengthening our presence in these markets enables us to broaden our pipeline of potential investors, create new opportunities for the country, and continue positioning Costa Rica as a trusted partner for high value-added investment projects across the region," said Mónica Umaña, FDI Attraction Manager at the Trade and Investment Promotion Agency of Costa Rica (PROCOMER).
The mission—joined by Costa Rica's Ambassador to South Korea, Jorge Valerio, and Costa Rica's Ambassador to Japan, Sussi Jiménez—provided an opportunity for PROCOMER to present Costa Rica's value proposition to South Korean and Japanese companies evaluating expansion opportunities across the Americas. The agency also promoted investment opportunities in sectors including light and advanced manufacturing, packaging, construction materials, plastics, chemicals, logistics, distribution, international trade, retail, digital technologies, corporate services, agribusiness, and medical devices. In addition, meetings were held with companies already established in Costa Rica to explore new opportunities for growth and expansion.
Beyond showcasing Costa Rica's competitive advantages, PROCOMER met with prospective investors and the headquarters of companies already operating in the country to gain insights into their expansion plans, strengthen long-term relationships, identify emerging investment trends, gather market intelligence, and establish new strategic contacts to support Costa Rica's FDI attraction strategy. South Korean company SAE and Japanese medical technology company Terumo, both of which have operations in Costa Rica, also shared their experiences investing in the country with other potential investors.
Fourteen companies from South Korea and Japan currently operate in Costa Rica, reflecting the diversity and sophistication of Asian investment in the country. Among the success stories is SAE, which operates three highly automated cotton yarn manufacturing facilities. Hitachi has established a corporate and technology services operation in Costa Rica that provides regional and global support in areas including information technology, business process services, and shared business services, reinforcing the country's position as a leading knowledge-intensive services hub. Meanwhile, Terumo operates a high-tech medical device manufacturing facility producing equipment for cardiovascular procedures as well as blood and cell technologies. The company has recently expanded its Costa Rican operation by adding engineering and research and development (R&D) capabilities, further strengthening the country's role as a strategic hub for the global medical device industry.
SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its strategy to diversify the sources of foreign direct investment (FDI) flowing into the country, the Trade and Investment Promotion Agency of Costa Rica (PROCOMER) conducted an investment promotion mission to South Korea and Japan aimed at strengthening relationships with companies already operating in Costa Rica while positioning the country as a strategic platform for regional business expansion.
The mission included meetings with multinational companies, investors, and business organizations, as well as the Costa Rica Investment Day Seoul 2026 and Costa Rica Investment Day Tokyo 2026 events, which brought together more than 75 business and institutional representatives from both markets. The visit took place at a time when Asian companies are accelerating the diversification of their supply chains and evaluating new locations to strengthen their international operations. Against this backdrop, Costa Rica continues to reinforce its positioning as a competitive investment destination, supported by key advantages including a highly skilled and growing talent pool, political and economic stability, sustainability, legal certainty, and preferential access to major international markets.
"Asia represents a strategic opportunity to diversify the origins of foreign direct investment in Costa Rica. South Korea and Japan are home to globally recognized companies in manufacturing, technology, logistics, and business services, all of which maintain significant international investment capacity. Strengthening our presence in these markets enables us to broaden our pipeline of potential investors, create new opportunities for the country, and continue positioning Costa Rica as a trusted partner for high value-added investment projects across the region," said Mónica Umaña, FDI Attraction Manager at the Trade and Investment Promotion Agency of Costa Rica (PROCOMER).
The mission—joined by Costa Rica's Ambassador to South Korea, Jorge Valerio, and Costa Rica's Ambassador to Japan, Sussi Jiménez—provided an opportunity for PROCOMER to present Costa Rica's value proposition to South Korean and Japanese companies evaluating expansion opportunities across the Americas. The agency also promoted investment opportunities in sectors including light and advanced manufacturing, packaging, construction materials, plastics, chemicals, logistics, distribution, international trade, retail, digital technologies, corporate services, agribusiness, and medical devices. In addition, meetings were held with companies already established in Costa Rica to explore new opportunities for growth and expansion.
Beyond showcasing Costa Rica's competitive advantages, PROCOMER met with prospective investors and the headquarters of companies already operating in the country to gain insights into their expansion plans, strengthen long-term relationships, identify emerging investment trends, gather market intelligence, and establish new strategic contacts to support Costa Rica's FDI attraction strategy. South Korean company SAE and Japanese medical technology company Terumo, both of which have operations in Costa Rica, also shared their experiences investing in the country with other potential investors.
Fourteen companies from South Korea and Japan currently operate in Costa Rica, reflecting the diversity and sophistication of Asian investment in the country. Among the success stories is SAE, which operates three highly automated cotton yarn manufacturing facilities. Hitachi has established a corporate and technology services operation in Costa Rica that provides regional and global support in areas including information technology, business process services, and shared business services, reinforcing the country's position as a leading knowledge-intensive services hub. Meanwhile, Terumo operates a high-tech medical device manufacturing facility producing equipment for cardiovascular procedures as well as blood and cell technologies. The company has recently expanded its Costa Rican operation by adding engineering and research and development (R&D) capabilities, further strengthening the country's role as a strategic hub for the global medical device industry.
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
Costa Rica Strengthens Engagement with South Korean and Japanese Companies to Attract New Investment
