Survey: Operational efficiency is the top investment priority for Latvian companies

Improving operational efficiency clearly stands out among the investment priorities of Latvian companies for the coming years. It is identified as the main area of investment by 38% of surveyed companies. Nearly half as many, or 19%, plan to invest primarily in the development of new products, services or technologies.

Other investment areas are mentioned considerably less often. Acquisitions or mergers are identified as the main focus by 8% of companies, improving customer experience by 7%, expansion into new international markets by 6%, and sustainability and green transformation initiatives by 4%. One in ten Latvian companies, or 10%, say they do not plan to invest.

Some companies also mentioned other areas of investment, including expanding their operations in the Latvian market, developing fixed assets and infrastructure, integrating artificial intelligence into core business processes, as well as investing in the development of new services.

“The data show that in an uncertain business environment, companies are prioritising investments that help strengthen the efficiency and competitiveness of their existing business. In recent years, the business environment has become more difficult to predict, with companies having to take into account geopolitical uncertainty and cost fluctuations, as well as challenges related to labour availability and the cost of financing. In these circumstances, investments whose contribution can be clearly assessed naturally come to the forefront, particularly in productivity, process efficiency and technology. This does not mean giving up on growth, but rather making more considered choices about investment priorities,” says Elmārs Prikšāns, General Manager of OP Corporate Bank plc Latvia branch.

This trend was already evident previously. In a KANTAR survey** conducted among OP Corporate Bank clients in 2025, among companies planning to invest in the following year, the most frequently mentioned areas for increased budgets were optimisation of internal processes (71%) and improvements to IT infrastructure (69%).

Improving operational efficiency is a shared priority for companies across the Baltics

Improving operational efficiency is the top investment priority in all three Baltic countries. It is identified by 38% of companies in Latvia, 42% in Lithuania and 27% in Estonia. Across the Baltics as a whole, 36% of companies identify improving efficiency as their main investment focus.

At the same time, there are differences in the approaches taken by companies in each country. Lithuanian companies are considerably more focused on expanding into new international markets, with 20% identifying this as their main investment priority, compared with 6% in Latvia and 2% in Estonia.

In Estonia, meanwhile, greater emphasis is placed on sustainability and green transformation initiatives. These are identified as the main area of investment by 15% of Estonian companies, compared with 4% in Latvia and 3% in Lithuania.

Differences in investment priorities across the Baltic countries were also evident in the 2025 KANTAR survey. In Latvia, optimisation of internal processes and improvements to IT infrastructure stood out in particular, while in Lithuania and Estonia, IT infrastructure and sustainable solutions were among the most frequently mentioned areas of investment. In Estonia, investment in strengthening cybersecurity also stood out.

*The survey was commissioned by OP Corporate Bank and conducted by the KOG Institute for Marketing and Communications Sciences in April 2026, surveying more than 300 representatives of medium-sized and large companies across the Baltics.

**The survey was commissioned by OP Corporate Bank and conducted by research agency Kantar in autumn 2025, surveying 130 representatives of medium-sized and large companies across all three Baltic countries.