Workplace AV demand is rising as organisations move beyond standard office layouts, according to research conducted by Obsurvant on behalf of Sony Professional Displays and Solutions Europe. In the UK, 91 per cent of respondents responsible for AV purchasing said demand for workplace AV and display technology had increased over the past three years, compared with 87 per cent across Europe. The findings also suggest that organisations need a wider range of display specifications as workplaces accommodate different activities and ways of working.
The research found that 79 per cent of UK respondents said technology requirements now vary more across projects, spaces and use cases than they did five years ago, compared with 68 per cent across the three countries surveyed. Training and learning spaces were cited most frequently as areas seeing technology investment, at 71 per cent, followed by meeting rooms at 58 per cent and flexible or multipurpose spaces at 50 per cent.
That diversity is reflected in display requirements. More than half of UK respondents (54 per cent) said a broader range of display sizes was needed within a single workplace or project. Meanwhile, 58 per cent reported growing demand for higher-specification displays, while 37 per cent saw demand shifting towards more affordable mid-range solutions. The findings point to simultaneous demand at different price and performance levels, rather than a single specification for the modern workplace.
AI is another factor influencing purchasing decisions. Some 45 per cent of UK respondents identified AI and automation as their leading workplace technology investment priority, compared with 50 per cent across Europe. However, 58 per cent of UK respondents also said future-proofing investments, including preparing for AI, was one of their biggest challenges when designing modern workspaces.
Looking ahead, 61 per cent of UK respondents expected AI-enabled collaboration to be among the technologies seeing the biggest growth in investment over the next two years, making it the highest-ranked response. A further 54 per cent believed AI-enabled workplace technology would be the single biggest trend over that period. The research also found that 97 per cent of respondents in the UK and across Europe considered energy efficiency important when selecting workplace display solutions.
The research was conducted by Obsurvant between August 27 and September 3, 2026, among 458 decision-makers at manager level or above with responsibility for AV equipment purchasing in office-based organisations in the UK, Germany and France. The findings form part of The Anywhere Workspace, a report commissioned by Sony examining changing workplace technology requirements. Sony Professional Displays and Solutions Europe’s Adam Dover said organisations should prioritise flexible technology that can be updated and managed remotely as workplace needs and AI capabilities evolve.
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