The 29th edition of the Webranking Europe 500 research provides a clear picture: in a context defined by the rise of AI, the evolution of sustainability regulations, and growing informational uncertainty, transparency is once again a cornerstone for building credibility and trust.
The analysis examined the 500 largest European companies by market capitalization, including 47 Swiss companies, assessing the transparency and quality of their digital communication through more than 270 criteria based on the fundamental expectations of stakeholders.
Results of the 2025–26 edition
Results of the 2025–26 edition For the first time, Poste Italiane takes the gold medal, establishing itself as the most transparent company in Europe in digital corporate communication. Terna, Snam and Eni also remain firmly at the top, consistently ranking among the leaders of the Europe 500 for many years. They are followed by Finland’s Wärtsilä, Spain’s Iberdrola, and Sweden’s Sandvik and Trelleborg. Completing the European Top 10 are Switzerland’s Givaudan and Finland’s Valmet. Among Swiss companies, Accelleron Industries earns the title of Best New Entry, while VAT Group stands out as the Swiss Best Improver. Also noteworthy are Swisscom, which remains in the top 15 of the European ranking, and ABB, which climbs 40 places compared to 2024, entering the top 100. But beyond these success stories, the broader picture remains telling: more than 80% of Swiss companies rank below 100th place, with more than half of the national sample falling below the 250th. This trend mirrors a wider European dynamic: 60% of companies perform worse than last year, partly due to updated research criteria designed to reflect evolving stakeholder expectations. Standing out in this scenario are Finnish companies, which distinguish themselves as a model of informational rigor and continuity in corporate communication.
Three challenges that are redefining corporate communication
AI increases the importance of content quality
The rise of artificial intelligence is profoundly transforming the information landscape. Automated text generation, the evolution of internal search engines, and the adoption of intelligent chatbots promise efficiency – but they impose a crucial condition: having high-quality content that is clear, structured, and verifiable.
AI does not solve the problem of transparency; it makes it more visible. Without accurate, up-to-date content available in structured formats, even the most advanced tools risk spreading inaccuracies or amplifying information gaps. This is exactly what Webranking rewards: a company’s ability to provide robust and accessible information.
The CSRD raises data quality but flattens corporate narratives
The introduction of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) has brought greater rigor, comparability, and traceability to ESG reporting. However, the standardization required by the directive has produced an increasingly evident side effect: the flattening of corporate storytelling.
Data is more robust, but often less readable; information is more complete, but less distinctive. In this context, the corporate website plays a fundamental role: transforming reporting into a sustainability value proposition – a clear narrative of the value created, the strategic choices made, and the concrete impact of corporate activities. This is where companies can truly differentiate themselves, bringing depth and interpretation to data that might otherwise remain technical and indecipherable for non-expert stakeholders.
Communication uncertainty: from post-Trump polarization to the crisis of trust
Today’s global communication landscape is defined by growing communication uncertainty. The polarization of public debate – accelerated in the post-Trump years the spread of conflicting information, and the rhetoric of “counter-narratives” have made it increasingly difficult for companies to build trust.
Stakeholders are more demanding and more skeptical; they look for evidence, not slogans. For this reason, the ability to clearly articulate the value created – with verifiable and comparable information – has become a crucial competitive lever.
The corporate website remains the place where this promise can be fulfilled: a controlled, updatable, and transparent environment where data, strategies, and impacts can be presented clearly and reliably.
“In an era where everything can be generated, transparency is what gives weight back to truth”, concludes Lundquist. “What’s needed are thoughtful, coherent contents capable of showing, concretely, the value a company delivers to its stakeholders”.
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Webranking EU500 2025-26
“In a world where it is increasingly difficult to distinguish what is true from what is not, the corporate website becomes a safe harbor – the place where accurate and reliable information can be found“
Joakim Lundquist, CEO Lundquist
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