Customers may not be looking for a single answer to equipment strategy. The findings suggest that equipment decisions are increasingly influenced by context, asset type and business priorities.
2026.07.22
Ownership of equipment or access?
Throughout this series, we have explored the forces reshaping the environment in which equipment decisions are made. We have examined :
- how capital tied up in equipment can constrain growth
- how lifecycle accountability is becoming more visible
- how regulatory requirements are adding complexity
- how organisations are evaluating the role of access-based models alongside ownership.
One theme appears consistently throughout the Outlook. Equipment decisions are no longer assessed solely in terms of acquisition cost or operational need. They are increasingly considered against a broader set of pressures, including capital availability, technology uncertainty and lifecycle accountability. These factors do not point towards a single preferred model. Rather, they suggest that organisations are evaluating a broader range of considerations than in the past.
What this signals for OEMs and equipment suppliers
Ownership remains an important part of the landscape
The report does not indicate that organisations are abandoning ownership. In many cases, ownership continues to be associated with:
- control
- predictability
- long-term availability
These characteristics remain important across many sectors and asset types. At the same time, the findings suggest that organisations are becoming more aware of the trade-offs associated with long-term capital commitment, technology obsolescence and lifecycle management. Ownership therefore remains relevant, but is increasingly assessed alongside other considerations.
What this signals for OEMs and equipment suppliers
The findings suggest that ownership continues to play an important role in equipment strategies. However, customers may increasingly assess ownership within a wider framework of operational, financial and lifecycle considerations.
Access-based models are already present
The report highlights that usage-based approaches are already part of the equipment procurement landscape. Across Europe, 45% of organisations say they access at least a quarter of their equipment through leasing or usage-based models. At the same time:
- 58% say greater access to equipment through usage-based or leasing models would improve agility
- 50% believe traditional CAPEX models expose businesses to unnecessary financial risk
These findings suggest that some organisations associate access-based approaches with flexibility, agility and risk management. However, the report does not suggest a uniform direction of travel.
What this signals for OEMs and equipment suppliers
The findings suggest that access-based approaches may be evaluated alongside ownership rather than as a replacement for it. Different assets, operational environments and business objectives may require different approaches.
Country perspective
The report highlights that equipment decisions are increasingly shaped by a wide range of contextual factors. For example :
- 64% say uncertainty around future technologies delays investment decisions
- 39% identify regulatory compliance as the greatest source of uncertainty in CAPEX planning
- 68% say lifecycle considerations influence procurement decisions
- 87% report challenges managing end-of-life equipment
Taken together, these findings suggest that equipment decisions are becoming more conditional and what works in one situation may not be appropriate in another. This variation is also reflected across Europe. In the Netherlands, 45% of organisations report that capital tied up in equipment constrains growth frequently or very frequently, compared with 38% in Spain. Meanwhile, significant or severe technology-related investment delays are reported by 28% of respondents in the Netherlands and Belgium, and 26% in Italy.
What emerges from the Outlook is not a choice between ownership and usage. Rather, the findings suggest that organisations are balancing multiple priorities simultaneously and within this environment, ownership and access appear less as competing models and more as different options within a broader equipment strategy.
Conclusion: beyond the ownership versus usage debate
What emerges from the European Business Equipment Outlook 2026 is not a move away from ownership, nor a universal shift toward usage-based models. Rather, the findings point to a more nuanced picture. Organisations continue to operate in an environment shaped by capital constraints, technology uncertainty, lifecycle complexity and regulatory pressures.
Within this context, equipment decisions appear increasingly influenced by a combination of operational, financial and strategic considerations. The question therefore becomes less about choosing between ownership and usage, and more about understanding how different approaches can support different objectives under different conditions.
Get the full report
Get practical, data‑driven insights into how European businesses are rethinking equipment strategy. Based on research with over 1,000 business leaders across six key sectors, the European Business Equipment Outlook 2026 highlights the trends, challenges and priorities shaping equipment strategy today, and what they mean for businesses looking to stay competitive.