Trends Identified
Intelligent Automation
Companies got started with robotic process automation (RPA) to streamline processes and reduce costs. Now, the automation toolbox continues to expand — and get smarter. This includes everything from natural language processing and machine learning to orchestration software and automation platforms that help you optimize what work is best suited for people and which is best done by machines. The shift to more intelligent automation will yield returns that go far beyond cost savings, such as better customer and employee experience, improved quality due to fewer errors, and reimagined processes that change how business is done.
2017
The Essential Eight - Your guide to the emerging technologies revolutionizing business now
PWC
Intelligent Assistants – Smart
The intelligent assistant would be an advanced version of conversational systems, using machine learning and robotics. Assistants have the potential to transform the way we interact with IT, with each other, how we learn and do our jobs and tasks. They would erase the borders between humans and IT/ machines and create true co-workers. Intelligent assistants would not only be able to take over tasks that previously only humans could do but assisting humans as well, including context sensitivity, human- machine interactions via voice, language and gesture, potentially neuronal interfaces and learning capabilities. Assistants will be able to predict and recommend actions, too, and to build relationships with humans over time. Up to now, conversational systems still need to learn the full human communication spectrum including emotional intelligence and the ambiguity of human behavior is still a problem for algorithms. Individuals may use several different assistants and we will probably see a mix of very specialized and more generic ones. If and to what extend these assistants will be embedded in devices or robots or have human-like features will be a matter of role, context and working environment. If assistants will merge partly or fully with humans via neuronal links or implants will depend on feasibility, costs, risks and acceptance by the society and we will need to answer many ethical considerations.
2018
Trend Report 2018 - Emerging Technology Trends
SAP
Intelligent Apps and Analytics
Organizations are applying AI techniques to create new app categories (such as virtual customer assistants [VCAs]) and improve traditional applications (such as worker performance analysis, sales and marketing, and security). Intelligent apps have the potential to transform the nature of work and the structure of the workplace. When building or buying an AI-powered app, consider where its AI impact will be
2017
Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2018
Gartner
Insurance (finally) Enters The Digital Age
This will be a standout year for insurance. Insurers will actively embrace new markets (smart cities, autonomous vehicles, connected living, and the elderly), products (insurance for shared workspaces, working from home, automotive pay-per-mile, and cyber-protection), technologies (blockchain, virtual reality (VR)/augmented reality (AR), and AI), business models (Prevention-as-a-Service, usage based car insurance, and on-demand insurance), and operations (increased automation, shifts in core systems, and even personnel and culture shifts).The industry will be characterized by greater automation and partnerships with data management companies. M&As with product and service providers in adjunct industries will provide instant access to new technology and capabilities, allowing insurance companies to adapt more rapidly to next generation needs.
2019
Top 10 Trends For 2019
Forbes
Insects
Inexpensive, nutritious and plentiful — insects fulfil many criteria that meat cannot. Food manufacturer Exo recently launched a set of bars made from cricket flour: cricket flour contains 60% protein, more calcium than milk and all essential amino acids, but is gluten- and dairy-free. It takes 100 gallons of water to produce 72g of crickets as opposed to only 6g of beef. Grasshoppers too are on the menu, along with fruit fly larvae. Over one-third of the world’s population already eats insects, such as caterpillars and termites — but questions remain as to how they can be presented to appeal to a more widespread consumer base.
2017
How we eat now: five disruptive food trends
EY
Innovative food
Innovative smart food products and processes will be developed that will better respond to consumer preferences, health issues and environmental concerns. Policy bodies, industry and the public should be prepared to foster this transition that will open new job opportunities and bring benefit to society. Innovative food products are already on the market and more will come. Is the regulation ready to face this challenge?
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Innovation through hyper-connectivity
A megatrend derived from following underlying trends: Digital Network Society, Hyper-connectivity Technology, Network-driven Transition of Power, Acceleration of E-democracy
2016
The 5th Science and Technology Foresight (2016-2040) Discovering Future Technologies to Solve Major Issues of Future Society
South Korea, Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP)
Innovation in the cloud is prolific
Innovation in cloud product offerings has been prolific as cloud providers compete to gain market share. Two significant advances over the past year are the integration of time series databases and the introduction of parallel streaming in milliseconds, giving companies a comprehensive view of activity like never before. Specifically, Apache Spark is a fast, in-memory data processing engine with development APIs to allow data workers to efficiently execute streaming, machine learning or SQL workloads that require fast, iterative access to datasets. Apache Kafka is a community distributed streaming platform capable of handling trillions of events per day. Both technologies are available in the cloud, and will be foundational for next generation surveillance, risk management and generally keeping up with the high-speed information on trading and clearing systems. It is notable that the cloud providers are embracing and supporting open source alternatives in addition to the enterprise software and proprietary solutions that are available currently. Importantly, customers are benefitting in terms of better availability and cost effectiveness of product. Some cloud providers have conceived of products that extend their offering to the customer’s premises. Other offerings allow large customers with many accounts the ability to give their employees autonomy while still maintaining control. Regulatory compliance is a key consideration for companies, and concerns about data residency are driving some global players toward a true multi-cloud offering. One implication of GDPR, for example, is that companies may not be willing to cross borders with their products and data if a cloud provider has not built out in Europe and in the company’s region. In many firms, the multi-cloud strategy is still taking shape, and the fear of traditional vendor lock-in is ever present. That said, open source foundational technologies as well as emerging ones such as Apache Kafka may be adopted across all major cloud providers. For now, firms appear to be adopting the leading cloud provider in their region plus a second one, but the right cloud strategy is a matter of perspective. For technology providers, having a multi-cloud strategy is important for product distribution and customer reach. Many financial firms, however, are still operating in a hybrid cloud mode, focusing on connecting to one cloud provider as well as their own data centers. Nasdaq will continue to monitor progress in this area.
2019
NASDAQ DECODES: TECH TRENDS 2019 -The technology trends that are driving the world of markets forward
Nasdaq
Innovation
Innovation will create new opportunities and generate value, by successfully exploiting new and improved technologies, techniques and services, overcoming cultural and process barriers. It will occur when invention reduces costs to a point where an explosive growth cycle is realised or where a new market is created.
2010
Global strategic trends - out to 2040
UK, Ministry of Defence
Innovating communities
Is there a big future in small cities? The majority of humanity will live in cities by 2050. But, in what kind of cities? The conventional urbanization narrative holds that big cities will only get bigger and economic benefits will continue to accrue disproportionately to hotbed regions, such as the San Francisco Bay Area or Shenzhen in China. However, as we highlight in our “Remapping urbanization” megatrend, the future of cities is not more of the same. A counter-narrative to this urbanization story is arising as global megacities and hotbeds begin to experience the limits to growth, and the forces of disruption continue to drive change that creates new opportunities for legacy cities and smaller cities. The result will be a more distributed, inclusive and resilient global cityscape.
2018
What’s after what’s next? The upside of disruption Megatrends shaping 2018 and beyond
EY