Trends Identified
AR Yes, VR (Still) No
I’m kind of starting to feel bad for virtual reality (VR) because it’s so cool, but it just isn’t feasible beyond gaming and highly specialized applications in today’s marketplace—yet. Instead, augmented reality (AR)—VR’s less sexy little brother—continues to be the name of the game in 2019 digital transformation trends. AR has found tons of use cases in enterprise workforce training, meaning it’s not just cool, it’s useful. And that’s what technology is all about. In fact, even though some think it will be slow, I believe AR’s development will ramp up in 2019. I’m even bracing to hear something about a new AR or mixed reality product and/or developer kit on September 12 from Apple’s big announcement. Hopefully something promising.
2018
Top 10 Digital Transformation Trends For 2019
Forbes
Smart Space I-centric Communication
I-centric communication system will provide proactive services based on users' demands by reflecting on recent actions and self-adaptation to contexts and situations.
2009
KISTEP 10 Emerging Technologies 2009
South Korea, Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP)
Autonomous Is Here, Now and Everywhere
I have been advocating for a while now that anything that moves will be autonomous in the future. This year will set the scene with the commercialization of 1st generation autonomous products. Automotive, industrial robotics, aerospace and consumer appliance industries will ramp up their pursuit of autonomous technology in 2019. In the automotive sector, semi-autonomous and autonomous ride-hailing services are a strong likelihood with BMW, GM, Uber and Waymo planning to launch their own ride-hailing programs this year. Robots are set to become more commonplace in industrial workplaces. Aerial taxi services are very much on track, with Germany-based Volocopter set to test autonomous air taxis in Singapore later this year. For those looking for some help around the house, Amazon Alexa and Google Home are old news. Smart Home 2.0 devices with enhanced capabilities are all set to shoulder some of your household chores even as Amazon redoubles efforts to introduce its home robot to consumers this year. Accompanying these developments will be the urgent need to formulate new regulations governing the safe testing and deployment of autonomous technologies.
2019
Top 10 Trends For 2019
Forbes
Hyperconnectivity
Hyperconnectivity the emphasis on interconnectedness and collective behavior.Transparent lives: With the rise in ICT technologies, the proliferation of data has exploded leading to the rise of big data analytics and trend sensing. In today’s world, data is easy to search for, manipulate, and extract insights from. Integrated systems: In a more digital world, we are able to create beautiful “smart cities” which integrate ICT networks and leverage the Internet of Things to create a positive, interconnected, and hyperconnected world for its inhabitants. While hyperconnectivity such as this boasts many benefits, it can also lead to greater risks from the integration from physical and cyber infrastructures as hackers increasingly exploit our reliance on digital technologies. Conflict minerals: As our dependence on smartphones, computers, and technologies has grown, our consumption of the precious metals and minerals required to produce such products has also grown significantly. Smartphones each contain approximately 40 different minerals including tantalum, tungsten, tin, and gold – referred to as the 3TG. Hyper-sensitive markets: As the world becomes increasingly intertwined, significant political and economic structural changes in one region have huge impacts on major financial markets leading to increased volatility. The 2008 subprime mortgage crisis in the United States sent the entire globe into catastrophe as markets were shorted and a Great Recession emerged. Global regimes: From the Roman Empire to the British Empire to Attila the Hun, the story of global regimes is not new. However, today the rise of and reach of global forces is catapulted forward by the ubiquity of social media and ICT technologies which create the possibility of connecting beyond physical borders on ideological platforms.
2017
Beyond the Noise- The Megatrends of Tomorrow’s World
Deloitte
Managing Global Natural Disaster Strategies
Hurricanes, mudslides, earthquakes and floods battered the world with unprecedented frequency and ferocity in 2017. As the social and economic toll mounts, prepare for consortiums of businesses, municipalities and insurance companies working together in 2018 to take more aggressive steps and employ innovative strategies to minimize the impact of these natural disasters.
2018
Top 10 Tech Trends For 2018
Forbes
Do no harm
Humans will reassert themselves in the battle between safety and innovation as regulation of new technology evolves.
2018
Top Policy Trends of 2018
PWC
Share, exchange & analyse
Humans will increasingly generate data from their explicit (e.g. social media) and implicit (e.g. web browsing) digital activities. The internet is powerful in connecting, optimising and enabling collaborative consumption, however, we leave many traces. Where monopolies emerge, privacy is an issue.
2017
Surfing the digital tsunami
Australia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Increasingly connected human networks.
Human networks are expected to continue to be increasingly decentralized thereby allowing unforeseeable threats
2017
Strategic foresight analysis
NATO
Human Networks / Transparency
Human networks are expanding at an exponential rate with many varying effects. Networks can be large or small, local or global, domestic or transnational, cohesive or diffuse, centrally directed or highly decentralised, purposeful or directionless. While they take many forms, networks are comprised of people, processes, places, and material. A human network is an alliance of socially connected individuals who are involved in activities to achieve some form of common social, political, monetary, religious, or personal goal. Although there can be many benefits and opportunities presented by modern human networks, transnational networks can also make malign use of the interconnected global environment to direct operations, raise money, obtain and train recruits, and freely exchange technological information.35
2013
Strategic Foresight Analysis 2013 Report
NATO
Feeding the future
How will the world feed a population projected to grow from 7.6 billion in 2017 to 9.8 billion in 2050? Climate change will accentuate weather volatility and the amount of arable land is projected to decline from 0.23 hectares per person in 2000 to 0.15 by 2050 due to environmentally unsound practices. Precision agriculture and biotechnology are promising solutions for achieving sustainable and stable food production. Reflecting this view, investment in agriculture technology grew, on average, 63% yearly from 2010–2015. In smart farms, moisture sensors in the soil are linked to the farm’s irrigation and humidity systems, while operations like weeding and harvesting are performed by agri-bots. With farming processes mirroring tightly-controlled factory operations, food production could become more stable, efficient and cost-effective.
2017
Foresigth
Singapore, The Centre for Strategic Futures