UOB Poll Finds SMEs Keen on AI but Struggle to Move Beyond Pilot Stage

SINGAPORE, Aug. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 120 F&B and retail business owners, industry leaders and ecosystem partners gathered at a joint SkillsFuture Queen Bee Masterclass organised by UOB and Raffles Hotel Singapore, as part of the UOB SME Elevate Programme to explore how businesses can strengthen profitability, improve productivity and drive sustainable growth amid rising costs, manpower constraints and evolving customer expectations.

While awareness of artificial intelligence (AI) has grown significantly across the SME community, discussions at the event centred on a common challenge: moving from experimentation to meaningful implementation.

A post-event poll of 100 attendees reinforced these priorities. Rising operating costs emerged as the top business challenge for 30 per cent of respondents, while improving profitability (29 per cent) narrowly surpassed increasing sales (28 per cent) as the leading business priority over the next 12 months.

The poll also highlighted a significant AI implementation gap. While 55 per cent of respondents said they were exploring or piloting AI solutions, only 6 per cent reported actively using AI across their businesses, suggesting that many SMEs remain in the early stages of adoption.

Against this backdrop, industry leaders shared how they are leveraging technology, data and automation to address cost pressures, enhance customer engagement and improve operational efficiency.

Adrien Desbaillets, CEO and Co-Founder at SaladStop!, shared:

"Margins have compressed to a point where expansion is genuinely difficult for most operators. This is the new reality for F&B in mature markets and it will increasingly be determined by those who invests in capability rather than those who wait for conditions to improve.

Moving beyond generative AI tools and into agentic workflows is where the margin comes back. This cascades through the entire business, from head office to operations, and opens up new revenue streams that were not possible a few years ago. There has never been a better time to build a business differently and without those foundations, expanding abroad only spreads the business thinner."

The findings underscore the need for practical support to help SMEs move beyond experimentation and build the capabilities required to achieve tangible business outcomes.

"The findings highlight a clear gap between interest and implementation. While many SMEs recognise the potential of AI and digitalisation, most are still in the early stages of adoption and are looking for practical ways to translate technology investments into measurable business outcomes.

At the same time, businesses remain focused on the fundamentals: improving profitability, managing costs and building resilience in an increasingly competitive environment. Through initiatives such as UOB SME Elevate Programme and UOB BizSmart, we help SMEs build capabilities, access digital solutions and secure the support they need to transform with confidence." 

Paul Kan, Country Head, SME Banking (Emerging Enterprise), UOB

Building Capabilities for the Next Phase of SME Transformation

To support SMEs in Singapore, UOB extends a wide range of capability-building initiatives, supplementing its suite of SME financing tools and financial literacy efforts. This allows SMEs to take on the building blocks they require, such as –

• Improving productivity across core functions such as accounting, payroll, payments, customer engagement and business operations through UOB BizSmart, UOB's suite of digital tools to streamline SME operations. This includes access to 0% transaction fee for PayNow collections with a soundbox, intended to reduce the costs faced by retail and F&B businesses, as well as grant support for F&B companies through the F&B AI and Digital Integration Programme co-launched by UOB and Enterprise Singapore in July 2026.

• Upskilling for employees and business leaders in areas such as AI, digitalisation and sustainability through UOB FinLab, UOB's strategic community enabler which supports SMEs in translating innovation into practical business outcomes and growth opportunities across ASEAN. Through the UOB SME Elevate Programme, SMEs can tap on training courses and targeted skills advisory needed to complement their technology adoption.

More information on UOB's SME support programmes can be found at https://thefinlab.com/programmes/uob-sme-elevate/

About UOB

UOB is a leading Asian bank with a global network in Southeast Asia, Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. Operating through our head office in Singapore and banking subsidiaries in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, we have a global network of about 430 branches and offices in 19 markets.

Since its incorporation in 1935, UOB has grown organically and through a series of strategic acquisitions. Today, UOB is rated among the world's top banks: Aa1 by Moody's Investors Service and AA- by both S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings.

For more than nine decades, UOB has adopted a customer-centric approach to create long-term value by staying relevant through its enterprising spirit and doing right by its customers. UOB is focused on building the future of ASEAN – for the people and businesses within, and connecting with, ASEAN. The Bank connects businesses to opportunities in the region with its unparalleled regional footprint and leverages data and insights to innovate and create personalised banking experiences and solutions catering to each customer's unique needs and evolving preferences. UOB is also committed to help businesses forge a sustainable future, by fostering social inclusiveness, creating positive environmental impact and pursuing economic progress. UOB believes in being a responsible financial services provider and is steadfast in its support of education, children and art, doing right by its communities and stakeholders.

SOURCE UOB