Trends Identified
Deep learning for visual tasks
Computers are beginning to recognize images better than humans. Thanks to deep learning, an emerging field of artificial intelligence, computer-vision technologies are increasingly being used in applications as diverse as driving autonomous vehicles, medical diagnostics, damage assessment for insurance claims and monitoring of water levels and crop yield.
2017
These are the top 10 emerging technologies of 2017
World Economic Forum (WEF)
Liquid fuels from sunshine
Can we mimic the humble leaf to create an artificial photosynthesis to generate and store energy? The prospects are looking increasingly positive. The answer lies in using sunlight-activated catalysts to split water molecules into water and hydrogen, and then using the same hydrogen to convert CO2 into hydrocarbons. Such a closed system - wherein CO2 emitted by combustion is then transformed back into fuel instead of the atmosphere - could prove to be revolutionary for the solar and wind industries.
2017
These are the top 10 emerging technologies of 2017
World Economic Forum (WEF)
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)
Precision farming
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is providing farmers with a new set of tools to boost crop yield and quality while reducing water and chemical use. Sensors, robots, GPS, mapping tools and data-analytics software are all being used to customize the care that plants need. While the prospect of using drones to capture plant health in real time may be some way off for most of the world’s farmers, low-tech techniques are coming online too. Salah Sukkarieh, of the University of Sydney, for instance, has demonstrated a streamlined, low-cost monitoring system in Indonesia that relies on solar power and cell phones.
2017
These are the top 10 emerging technologies of 2017
World Economic Forum (WEF)
Affordable catalysts for green vehicles
Progress is being made on a promising zero-emission technology, the hydrogen-fed fuel cell. Progress to date has been stymied by the high price of catalysts which contain platinum. However, much progress has been made reducing reliance on this rare and expensive metal, and the latest developments involve catalysts that include no platinum, or in some cases no metal at all.
2017
These are the top 10 emerging technologies of 2017
World Economic Forum (WEF)
Genomic vaccines
Vaccines based on genes are superior to more conventional ones in a number of ways. They are faster to manufacture for one thing, which is crucial at times of a violent outbreak. Compared to manufacturing proteins in cell cultures or eggs, producing genetic material should also be simpler and less expensive. A genomics-based approach to vaccines also enables more rapid adaptation in the event of a pathogen mutating, and finally allows scientists to identify people who are resistant to a pathogen, isolate the antibodies that provide that protection, and design a gene sequence that will induce a person’s cells to produce those antibodies.
2017
These are the top 10 emerging technologies of 2017
World Economic Forum (WEF)
Sustainable design of communities
Applying green construction to multiple buildings at once has the potential to revolutionize the amount of energy and water we consume. Sending locally-generated solar power to a smart microgrid could reduce electricity consumption by half and reduce carbon emissions to zero if a project currently under development at the University of California at Berkeley Goes to plan. Meanwhile, the same project’s plan to re-design water systems so that waste water from toilets and drains is treated and re-used on site, with rainwater diverted to toilets and washers, could cut demand for potable water by 70%.
2017
These are the top 10 emerging technologies of 2017
World Economic Forum (WEF)
Quantum computing
Quantum computers’ almost limitless potential has only ever been matched by the difficulty and cost of their construction. Which explains why today the small ones that have been built have not yet managed to exceed the power of supercomputers. But progress is being made and in 2016 the technology firm IBM provided the public access to the first quantum computer in the cloud. This has already led to more than 20 academic papers being published using the tool and today more than 50 start-ups and large corporations worldwide are focused on making quantum computing a reality. With such progress behind us, the word on people’s lips now is “Quantum Ready.”
2017
These are the top 10 emerging technologies of 2017
World Economic Forum (WEF)
Wireless 5G takes hold
While the next generation of broadband will make internet speeds faster, that’s far from the biggest perk (current speeds are plenty fast). 5G will offer improved latency, drastically reducing the time it takes for connected devices to communicate with one another. This is the key to making the internet of things (IoT) come to life because our current infrastructure cannot support the burgeoning universe of products adequately, including everything from streaming Netflix on multiple devices in 4k to connecting phones, iPads and laptops to coffee machines, refrigerators and security systems. The coming of 5G will change that. This not only presents opportunities for internet providers like Verizon, Fios and Spectrum but also the owners of cell towers such as Crown Castle. Even though everyone has an appetite for better internet, no one wants more cell towers in their city, meaning the value of the existing ones goes up. Other beneficiaries will include the handset makers, something that should be music to Apple’s ears. The company is no doubt looking to offset the struggles that it faces in China by entering a massive upgrade cycle over the next few years as it unveils 5G-ready devices. Qualcomm and Intel are also poised to do well since their chips will power the modems that will make wireless 5G a reality.
2019
Three Big Tech Trends For 2019
Forbes
Video games are the new social media
At over 2.3 billion, Facebook has by far more users than any social media platform worldwide (Twitter, by comparison, has about 325 million). That’s why, despite its increasingly tattered reputation, Facebook continues to be popular with advertisers in search of eyeballs. At the same time, Facebook has a problem with young people, with only about half of all high-school aged kids being active on the platform. If young people are not using Facebook now, what makes anyone believe that they’ll log on when they get older? They most likely won't, and a big reason why is video games. Thanks partly to the rousing success of “Fortnite,” Amazon-owned Twitch and other platforms like it are creating communities that young people prize far more than Facebook, whether they are watching their favorite gamers or facing off with their friends or with others across the globe. These types of immersive experiences dwarf anything Facebook offers this group, calling into question whether the company can sustain its advertising prowess in the years to come as the younger generation becomes a highly sought-after consumer demographic. Underscoring this dynamic is Netflix, which said in its most recent shareholder letter that it competes more with “Fortnite” than it does HBO. Skeptics will scoff at that, pointing out (correctly) even the biggest phenomenon fade at some point. However, the next huge game is just around the corner, and when it arrives, Netflix, along with social media, will have to worry about it cannibalizing users too. All this is good news for gaming companies, including Tencent, whose subsidiary, Epic Games, published “Fortnite,” Electronic Arts and Activision.
2019
Three Big Tech Trends For 2019
Forbes