We highly recommend reading a blog post by IOTech’s Chief Technology Officer, Brad Corrion. He wrote on the IOTech Blog, “Looking forward into 2026, I see several drivers that will significantly impact and propel edge computing forward. These will be pulled by progress in usable AI and the need for operational efficiency.”

Below are his six predictions for the edge computing market in 2026.

• Prediction 1: The conversation will start with “AI managing the edge” before shifting to “AI at the edge”.
• Prediction 2: 2026 is the year that messy industrial data finally becomes usable at scale.
• Prediction 3: 2026 is going to be the year of the small model at the edge.
• Prediction 4: Edge platforms will serve as the substrate, the foundational layer that future AI deployments require.
• Prediction 5: Organizations will stop tolerating multiple, duplicate edge platform investments and move toward company-wide standardization.
• Prediction 6: AI will become a practical ‘genius persona’ knowledge source for technicians, helping to bridge the knowledge gap left by retiring experts.

Check out the full blog post at: https://www.iotechsys.com/company/updates/blog/i/2026-edge-predictions/

IO Tech