Trends Identified
New organizational structures
The new technologies, new work arrangements and other global change drivers are likely to generate new kinds of organizations. For instance, one can imagine a service corporation where all of the services are provided by AI with fewer human employees. A growing number of modern corporations will have a small management team that contracts out all functions through the entire product life cycle. It is possible that unorganized skilled workers will find people with complementary skills and create informal, temporary teams to take advantage of an opportunity to work together virtually to deliver a good or service.
2013
Metascan 3 emerging technologies
Canada, Policy Horizons Canada
New modes of travel, improved health and longevity, and the ability to travel through time top the list of futuristic inventions Americans would like to own
In addition to capturing the public’s attitudes toward specific inventions or future outcomes, we also offered them the opportunity to tell us—in their own words—which futuristic invention they themselves would want to own. Based on their responses, many Americans are looking forward to a future in which getting from place to place is easier, more comfortable, or more adventuresome than it is today. A total of 19% of Americans would like to own a travel-related invention of some kind, including: a flying car or flying bike (6%), a personal space craft (4%), a self-driving car (3%), a teleportation device (3%), a jet pack (1%), or a hover car or hover board (1%).
2014
US views of technology and the future - science in the next 50 years
Pew Research Center
New materials with new properties may stimulate innovation
New bio and nanomaterials are likely to launch a new era of product and process innovation. Their new properties are changing the size, at both ends of the scale, at which designers, engineers and architects can dream. Nanocomposites and other new materials – some as strong as steel and others so and supple – will improve the performance of manufactured products and support a wider range of 3D printed objects. Embedded sensors and digital tags within materials will enable tracking along the supply chain, offering improved transparency and monitoring of product life cycles.
2013
Metascan 3 emerging technologies
Canada, Policy Horizons Canada
New materials to stimulate regeneration, activity and cytodifferentiation in the body
New materials to stimulate the regeneration, activity and differentiation of cells in the body offer the potential to cure pathologies in the musculoskeletal system, wounds of various aetiology, cardiovascular diseases, etc. Innovative techniques are based on bioengineering “grafting” technologies in this field and are required, with the necessary speed, to regenerate cells and to subsequently form various tissues and organs directly in the body on the basis of those cells. At the end of the prescribed timeframe, the biodegradable polymer materials leave the body, breaking down with natural metabolic products. New technologies will help to speed up the healing of all types of tissue, prevent the formation of adhesions, and reduce the number of complications after operations, thus providing a significant increase in patients’ quality of life.
2016
Russia 2030: science and technology foresight
Russia, Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation
New materials for vehicles and infrastructure
Progress in the field of new materials for vehicles and infrastructure is not possible without technological breakthroughs in material engineering. Special attention will be paid to developing composite materials, metal alloys and metal-ceramics with nanoadditives, nanocoated parts to be used in aggressive environments, metal-polymers and polymer composite materials, carbon fibres with enhanced strength, heat and impact resistance, as well as new types of synthetic lubricants. The use of innovative construction materials in the rolling stock of prospective forms of rail, road and water transport will make it possible to reduce fuel expenditure by up to 20%, increase the safety of using structures and constructions during the planned service timeframe, increase their service life, and decrease environmental pollution by almost twofold.
2016
Russia 2030: science and technology foresight
Russia, Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation
New materials for chemical sources of electrical current
Many research groups are actively developing technologies relating to nanostructured materials for chemical sources of electrical current. Their use will make it possible to increase the specific capacity of electrodes, increasing the capacity of power sources and allowing for their miniaturisation and safety. An important parameter is also the increasing operating temperatures of these energy sources. Among the most promising chemical sources of electrical current are the following: lithium-ion batteries; fuel cells.
2016
Russia 2030: science and technology foresight
Russia, Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation
New materials and biotech
New materials and biotech, which include advanced materials, such as new lightweight materials, and next-generation genomics.
2019
Tech for good
McKinsey
New materials
Example of Organizationsactive in the area: For example Vantablack by Surrey NanoSystems (UK).
2018
Table of disruptive technologies
Imperial College London
New Markets
Based on four years of Global Opportunity Report data, it is clear that new market opportunities emerge at the intersection of technology and sustainability risks. The vast majority of our 55 opportunities employ technological innovations, but the digitalisation of certain products and services will not be enough to remain competitive in the future market universe. True innovation lies in finding the intersection of a business sector and technology.
2018
Global opportunity report
DNV GL