Trends Identified

Software-defined Anything
2017
Top 50 Emerging Technologies 2017
Frost & Sullivan
Software-defined everything - Breaking virtualization’s final frontier
Amid the fervor surrounding digital, analytics, and cloud, it is easy to overlook advances currently being made in infrastructure and operations. The entire operating environment—server, storage, and network—can now be virtualized and automated. The data center of the future represents the potential for not only lowering costs, but also dramatically improving speeds and reducing the complexity of provisioning, deploying, and maintaining technology footprints. Software-defined everything can elevate infrastructure investments, from costly plumbing to competitive differentiators.
2015
Tech trends 2015 - The fusion of business and IT
Deloitte
Software-Defined Networking
With virtualization investments already paying off in servers and starting to pay off in storage, businesses must turn their attention to virtualizing the network in order to extend the life of their infrastructure and reap the full value of their virtualization investments. Like other virtualization technologies, softwaredefined networking (SDN) has the ability to radically change the flexibility with which businesses and IT operate. You may think of networking as a low-level technology, but this aspect of it has the ability to transform enterprises. With SDN, businesses can finally realize the vision of a dynamic enterprise.
2013
Accenture Technology Vision 2013
Accenture
Solar and wind may become cost-effective
Recently, there have been significant improvements in both solar and wind technologies, including cheap printing processes for solar panels. Many science sources suggest that solar and wind energy may become the most cost-effective choice for new electricity generation in many locations within 15 years. As solar and wind have become more affordable, massive research and venture capital has been going into battery storage for homes, buildings and vehicles. Effective and economical battery storage is on the horizon. It is the key enabling technology to ensure that buildings using renewable energy are powered during cloudy and windless days.
2013
Metascan 3 emerging technologies
Canada, Policy Horizons Canada
Solar desalination
Historically, people have tried to increase water availability to meet demands by exploiting unutilised fresh water sources, such as rainwater, groundwater and atmospheric water, or through improved water management practices, including demand management, water recycling, river flow regulation and so on.245 while these practices are widespread today, their potential mitigating impact on escalating levels of water stress is somewhat limited because fresh water only accounts for around 3% of global water volumes. As a result, increasing attempts have been made to harness the remaining 97% of saline water, comprising seawater and brackish water.246 experts argue that methods to turn saline into fresh water are likely to play an important role, especially in developing countries. Some go as far as to suggest that ‘desalination [could] make a revolution in water supply globally.
2016
Ten Frontier Technologies for International Development
Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
Solidarity and rising healthcare and pension costs and growth of third age economy
The effects on solidarity will be felt throughout the EU and present serious challenges with momentous budgetary consequences.
2014
Challenges at the horizon 2025
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Space
Space divides into 3 communities of users: civil space, commercial space and security space. Much of the hardware is shared and the space launch industry supports all sectors, often simultaneously. Civil space encompasses pure science, such as astronomy, scientific applications, such as climate monitoring, and most manned space flight. The majority of commercial users provide services to terrestrial consumers through Satellite Communications (SATCOM), including broadcasting and satellite-based information systems, predominantly Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) information. Security space incorporates military uses of PNT and SATCOM, state surveillance capabilities and uniquely military applications, such as nuclear detonation detection and missile launch warning. Space Situational Awareness (SSA), once principally the concern of security space users, is gaining importance in commercial space, as orbits become crowded and debris threat levels increase.
2010
Global strategic trends - out to 2040
UK, Ministry of Defence
Space based services
Satellite navigation, Earth observation, telecommunication satellites are giving rise to an increasing number of services down on Earth. These services are pervading the daily life of citizens at unprecedented levels and will continue to do so.
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Space elevators
Example of Organizationsactive in the area: Thoth Technology (Canada).
2018
Table of disruptive technologies
Imperial College London
Space exploration will open up in 2018 - Eye-catching space missions could boost dreams of setting up bases on celestial bodies
If all goes well, on November 26th 2018 NASA’s InSight unmanned spacecraft will slice into Mars’s thin atmosphere at a blistering 3.2km (2 miles) a second, open a parachute, fire retrorockets, jettison its heat shield and softly land. It will be the culmination of an exciting year of space travel.
2018
The world in 2018
The Economist