EY vs PwC

Humanoid Robots: Race for Factory Floor Still Open

At the invest.austria conference 2026, industry experts discussed the state of humanoid robotics in industrial applications. Panelists agreed that while the technology is advanced, many pilot projects fail due to unrealistic expectations and lack of a clear business case. Nikolaus Keuth of EY highlighted a "graveyard of pilot projects" and the need for use-case clusters. Majdoline Wahbi of Kiosmo noted that Europe lags in research-to-startup conversion, with only 15% of researchers founding companies compared to 45% in the US. Christian Tauber of NEOALP emphasized that the challenge now lies in robotic skills and data collection, not hardware. Christopher Polligkeit of Plug and Play stressed the importance of addressing labor shortages. The consensus was that Europe needs a stronger pipeline from research to industrial practice to win the race.

• The invest.austria conference 2026 took place on Wednesday with a panel on Robotics & Industrial AI.
• EY Senior Manager Nikolaus Keuth mentioned a 'large graveyard of pilot projects' in humanoid robotics.
• Majdoline Wahbi of Kiosmo stated that only 15% of European researchers found companies, versus 45% in the US.

EY Wins BMW Audit Mandate Starting 2029

The article reports that EY has won the prestigious audit mandate for BMW, effective from 2029. This marks the second major DAX mandate for the former Wirecard auditor after its ban expired, following a similar win at Allianz. The content is paywalled, so only limited details are available. The news is significant for the professional services industry, indicating EY's comeback in the German market. However, detailed information about the contract terms, duration, or implications for other auditors is not provided due to the paywall.

EY Survey: Half of German CEOs See AI Skills Gap

According to the EY-Parthenon CEO Outlook Survey, 53% of German CEOs fear their companies are not developing AI skills fast enough, the highest level of agreement (21%) among surveyed countries. Globally, 44% of CEOs cite economic uncertainty as a top concern, followed by cyber risks (40%) and technological change including AI (34%). German CEOs prioritize process optimization (62%) over AI applications (48%) for productivity. 24% of German companies cannot reliably assess AI costs and ROI, while only 18% have real-time cost visibility. On average, German companies spend 0.9% of revenue on AI, with 88% expecting increased spending on generative AI over the next three years. EY recommends linking financial responsibility for AI more closely to its economic benefits.

• 53% of German CEOs fear AI skills gap, highest in Europe.
• 24% of German companies cannot reliably assess AI costs and ROI.
• German companies spend average 0.9% of revenue on AI.

PwC warns of AI agent governance gaps and security risks

According to PwC's 'Digital Trust Insights 2027' study, German companies plan to increase cybersecurity investments and delegate more operational responsibility to AI. 47% of executives expect cyber budgets to rise by 6-10% (up from 36% last year). AI applications are a top investment focus for 57%, followed by cloud security (54%) and managed security services (40%). However, governance lags: only 30% prioritize control structures for AI, and 29% would allow AI agents to act fully autonomously. Gaps remain in emergency planning (29% have integrated plans) and industrial OT security (42% cite lack of resources). Additionally, 61% adopt multi/hybrid-cloud to reduce vendor dependency, reflecting growing focus on digital sovereignty.

• 47% of German executives expect cyber budget increases of 6-10% (up from 36% last year).
• 29% of German companies would allow AI agents to act fully autonomously.
• Only 30% of German companies prioritize AI governance and control structures, compared to 42% globally.

AI Drives Cyber Spending; Firms See Risks from Autonomous Systems

According to PwC's 2027 Global Digital Trust Insights Survey, 84% of security and finance executives expect their cyber budgets to increase in the next twelve months, up from 78% last year. AI is a top budget priority for 58% of security leaders, yet only 39% have fully formalized continuity plans that address cyber risks. Attacks on AI systems are the top unprepared threat for 50% of respondents, ahead of cloud threats (40%), third-party attacks (34%), and ransomware (33%). Only 22% would allow AI agents to make autonomous decisions in cyber defense, citing reliability, accountability, and skill gaps. Notably, only 47% say cyber risks are regularly on the board agenda. To mitigate, companies are adopting multi-cloud strategies (54%), regional data redundancy (47%), and improved vendor risk management (50%). The survey covers nearly 4,000 executives across 71 countries.

• 84% of security and finance executives expect cyber budgets to rise in the next 12 months, up from 78% last year.
• 58% of security leaders rank AI as a top cyber budget priority.
• Only 39% of companies have a fully formalized and integrated continuity plan that addresses cyber risks.

AI study platform StudyStash acquired by Kortext

StudyStash, an adaptive AI study platform, has been acquired by edtech company Kortext. The acquisition occurred a year after the founders graduated from the University of Birmingham, with financial terms undisclosed. StudyStash turns course content into personalized flashcards, practice tests, and podcasts, and is used by tens of thousands of students across 160+ institutions in multiple countries. Following the acquisition, founders Ben Ward and Jonathan Graham will remain CEO and CTO, and the company will continue as a distinct brand. The founders are relocating to Silicon Valley to expand in the US market.

• StudyStash was acquired by Kortext, an edtech company.
• The acquisition happened a year after founders graduated from University of Birmingham.
• StudyStash is used in 160+ institutions across UK, Europe, US, and Africa.