• AI adoption in Australia outpaces global peers (67% vs. 57% globally), with investment strategies emphasising customer experience, employee confidence, and clear business benefit, rather than business expansion.
• Cybersecurity is a top focus for Australian companies, with 73% of firms reporting using cybersecurity technology in operations / processes (vs. 66% globally) and 65% ranking immunity from cyberattacks as one of their top three priorities to drive digital transformation – well above global peers.
• This is resulting in greater resilience – 70% of Australian firms are confident they can recover from a cyber threat within three days (vs. 67% globally).
• Australian firms also punch above their weight in the use of advanced analytics for real-time insights – 67% (vs. 44% globally).

SYDNEY, OCTOBER 22, 2025 – Australian business leaders are forging a distinct digital transformation path – one that prioritises resilience, regulatory compliance, and data excellence while maintaining a strong commitment to innovation, according to the inaugural Australia edition of the Digital Transformation & Next-Gen Technology Study by global Fintech leader, Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR).

“True digital transformation comes from laying strong foundations – prioritising trust, data quality, and resilience – before accelerating into growth,” said Danielle Gerace, Australia Senior Country Officer at Broadridge. “What we are hearing from our Australian financial services clients is that they are focusing less on the next quarter and more on the next decade.”

Australia is leading in AI adoption, prioritising capability over short-term returns

Australian firms are embracing AI and GenAI faster than most global peers:

• Australian firms are leading the charge in AI adoption, reporting significantly higher use of both general AI: 67% (vs. 57% globally) and GenAI: 45% (vs. 31% globally).
• 74% of Australian firms are making moderate to large investments in GenAI this year (vs. 72% globally).
• Australian firms believe AI will have a high or very high impact on employee productivity: 73% (vs. 68% globally); and on reducing operational costs: 51% (vs. 50% globally).

Additionally, there is a clear focus on getting the fundamentals right over immediate monetisation of these advanced tools.

Australian firms punch above their weight in leveraging advanced analytics

Alongside leading the charge in AI adoption, Australian firms are outperforming their global peers in the practical application of analytics: 

• Compared to global peers, fewer Australian firms face challenges with data quality (37% vs. 40% globally) or data silos (40% vs. 47% globally).
• 61% have well-defined data architecture and governance frameworks (vs. 56% globally). 

Many respondents scored themselves modestly on platform maturity but demonstrate leading skills in applying data towards decision-making.

A stronger data infrastructure appears to be the main driver of this performance, as firms in Australia report fewer issues with foundational challenges like data quality and data silos than their international counterparts.

Cybersecurity: a defining priority

The heightened attention on cybersecurity is a defining characteristic of the Australian market, driven by a combination of stringent regulation and high-profile breaches. This creates a necessary "innovation tax" but is also yielding a greater sense of operational resilience and preparedness. Thirty-one percent of firms cite growing cybersecurity risks as a top innovation inhibitor (vs. 27% globally).

“Cybersecurity in Australia has moved past hypotheticals. Given the high-profile breaches we’ve seen in the Australian market, leaders aren’t just asking if they will be attacked, but how quickly and confidently they can respond when it happens,” said David Runacres, Asia-Pacific President at Broadridge.

The data shows a defensive stance, with respondents focused on resilience and recovery:

• 73% of Australian firms reported they already use cybersecurity technology in their operations / processes (vs. 66% globally).
• 12% are planning very high levels of investment in cybersecurity technology in the next two years (vs. 8% globally).
• 65% ranked immunity from cyberattacks as one of their top three priorities to drive digital transformation – well above global peers at 45%.
• The heightened alert is translating into tangible results, with 70% of Australian firms confident they can recover from a cyber threat within three days, compared to 67% globally.

To learn more about the Australian edition of the Digital Transformation & Next-Gen Technology Study click here for the full report.

Methodology

Broadridge commissioned Phronesis Partners to conduct this survey. Broadridge's annual global 2025 Digital Transformation & Next-Gen Technology Study surveys nearly 600 financial services technology and operations leaders from around the world and across wealth management, capital markets, and asset management firms in North America, Europe, and APAC. The inaugural Australian edition of this study draws on the quantitative data of the global annual series, combining qualitative insights from senior Australian financial leaders with over 50 respondents surveyed, to provide a dedicated Australian perspective that explores the challenges and opportunities that will shape the industry's future.