Trends Identified
The Platform (R)evolution: Defining ecosystems, redefining industries
Among the Global 2000, digital industry platforms and ecosystems are fueling the next wave of breakthrough innovation and disruptive growth. Increasingly, platformbased companies are capturing more of the digital economy’s opportunities for strong growth and profitability. Rapid advances in cloud and mobility not only are eliminating the technology and cost barriers associated with such platforms, but also are opening up this new playing field to enterprises across industries and geographies. In short: platform-based ecosystems are the new plane of competition.
2015
Accenture Technology Vision 2015
Accenture
The internet of wings
An ambitious project will start in 2017 designed to track from space the movement and behaviour of animals, large and small, anywhere they travel around the world. In June a Russian rocket will carry an array of sensitive dish antennae up to the International Space Station. Orbiting low over Earth, the antennae will be able to decode faint radio signals from tiny solar-powered tracking tags, light enough for migrating songbirds to carry safely. If all goes well, within two years as many as 20,000 animals may be tagged—and further into the future hundreds of thousands more, as the tags become light enough to be carried even by large flying insects such as locusts.
2016
World in 2017
The Economist
Smart Toys Educating the Masses
An emerging focus on coding provides mass market opportunities. Big toy makers moving to offer coding on all smart toys as a USP.
2018
Top Tech trends 2018
Juniper Research
More than 170 million people are unemployed despitethe continued decrease in the global unemployment rate
An estimated 172 million people worldwide were unemployed in 2018, which corresponds to an un-employment rate of 5.0 per cent. It is remarkable that, whereas it took only one year for the global un-employment rate to jump from 5.0 per cent in 2008 to 5.6 per cent in 2009, the recovery to the levels that prevailed before the global financial crisis has taken a full nine years. The current outlook is un-certain. Assuming stable economic conditions, the unemployment rate in many countries is projected to decline further. However, macroeconomic risks have increased and are already having a negative impact on the labour market in a number of countries. On balance, the global unemployment rate should remain at roughly the same level during 2019 and 2020. The number of people unemployed is projected to increase by 1 million per year to reach 174 million by 2020 as a result of the expanding labour force.
2019
World Employment and Social Outlook
International Labour Organization (ILO)
Electronic elements based on graphene, fullerene, carbon nanotubes, quantum dots
An important breakthrough in the electronics industry will be the development of electronic elements based on graphene, fullerene, carbon nanotubes and quantum dots. The electronic devices developed on the basis of these, with very small dimensions and weights, will have very high functional parameters. It is anticipated that after development of the frequency range up to several terahertz and significantly increasing the performance of computer systems, fundamentally new communications devices could be created with unprecedented broad-band channels. This will open up a new niche for high-speed data transfer networks with small ranges and will make it possible to completely abandon the use of cables when connecting audio, television and video devices and home cinema equipment when transferring multi-threaded video at high resolution. Graphene photodiodes, used as photo receivers in the terahertz range, could be mounted in compact security systems (to detect arms, drugs, explosives, etc.).
2016
Russia 2030: science and technology foresight
Russia, Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation
Genetic passport
An important step for the transition to predictive and personalised medicine is the wide spread dissemination of genetic passports containing data from a DNA analysis of the individual. Based on the genetic information provided, a doctor can not only correctly put forward a diagnosis and select the most appropriate treatment, but also – prior to revealing the real picture of the pathological process – to warn of any possible developments of a particular disease with a view to providing timely prophylaxis or treatment.
2016
Russia 2030: science and technology foresight
Russia, Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation
New connectivity
An increasing number of obligations and networks exists outside the family context. This leads to less cohesion in families and households, influenced by technological developments in mobile communication, social media and computers. Our social tissue appears to change from ‘blood relationships’ to ‘chosen relationships’. Relationships are increasingly driven by (temporary) affiliations and interests. The next generation, also called digital natives, will change the rules of the game. This generation will be a dominating power in the ageing West, even if economic growth is zero. Shortages on the labour market will force employers to be flexible or move away. The younger generation will demand more flexible and attractive labour conditions in line with their own ambitions. This generation will also be ‘hyperconnected’. Virtual online collaborative communities will be the best way to get things done.
2014
Horizon scan 2050
Netherlands, The Netherlands Study Centre for Technology Trends (STT)
Globalization of financial resources
An increasingly interconnected global financial system makes it more vulnerable to attacks by both state and non-state actors
2017
Strategic foresight analysis
NATO
The Human Cell Atlas
An international collaboration aimed at deciphering the human body, called the Human Cell Atlas, was launched in October 2016. The project, backed by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative aims to identify every cell type in every tissue; learn exactly which genes, proteins and other molecules are active in each type and the processes which control that activity; determine where the cells are located exactly; how the cells normally interact with one another, and what happens to the body’s functioning when genetic or other aspects of a cell undergo change, among other things. The end product will be an invaluable tool for improving and personalizing health care.
2017
These are the top 10 emerging technologies of 2017
World Economic Forum (WEF)
Data and analytics
Analysis of data to create real-time change
2016
Disruptive technologies barometer
KPMG