Singapore, Nov 4 (IANS): With accelerated direct digital transformation (DX) investments creating economic gravity, over 65 per cent of the GDP of the Asia-Pacific region is expected to be digitalised and spending to hit $1.2 trillion between 2020 and 2023, a new IDC report said on Wednesday.

Business leaders around the region are now focused on their "return to growth" investments and "next normal" operating or business models and are looking for guidance more than ever.

"Organisations will leverage technologies to adapt for survival, accelerate for growth and reimagine to lead. APAC is already leading the race with digital core investments to strengthen organizational foundation and digital innovation initiatives to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic," said Sandra Ng, Group Vice President for ICT Research at IDC Asia/Pacific.

The pandemic changed everything and while the crisis is past, recovery from economic disruptions and adjusting to long-lasting changes in social and business practices will dominate IT investment decisions and reshape priorities over the next five years.

By 2023, 70 per cent of leaders in A2000 (top 2,000 APAC-based) organisations will have shifted their management orientation from processes to outcomes, establishing more agile, innovative, and empathetic operating models.

While "digital first" prevails in every experience, 60 per cent of enterprises will invest heavily in digitalising employee experience (EX) in 2021, transforming the relationship between employers and employees.

"By 2021, 65 per cent of organisations will have shifted to digital-first through automated operations and contactless experiences, as physical interactions become an amenity of the past," Ng said.

"A key pillar to becoming a future enterprise in a post-COVID outbreak era is digital resiliency," Ng added.