It will come as little surprise to most CIOs that the vast majority of their peers prioritised cost-cutting measures over innovation during the recent recession.

However, a survey of more than 2,600 global IT leaders by recruitment specialist Harvey Nash showed that the effect of the downturn on CIO decision-making appears to be receding, with 74% citing cost saving as a key issue during 2009, down from 84% a year previously.

Still, the number of CIOs who are prioritising innovation over ‘keeping the lights on’ appears to be shrinking further, with 38% referencing innovation as a key issue last year compared with 41% in 2008.

“The results show that the CIO community is currently wrestling with significant pressures as the Great Recession fades into history and a new decade, with a new competitive landscape, emerges,” wrote Harvey Nash chief executive Albert Ellis.

“Offshore destinations for outsourcing, the emergence of new technology models such as cloud computing, a redefined skills shortage and even the strategic role of the CIO itself have all been fundamentally changed by the economic crisis,” Ellis opined.