While 2020 may have provided the next decade with a rocky foundation to start with, little has changed when it comes to technology. In fact, research is finding that the global pandemic has pushed technology boundaries and ignited advancements and disruptive developments.
According to Deloitte Digital, the human need for new services, solutions and ways of doing business has sped up the pace of technological innovation.
Accenture released a new 2020 Technology Vision trends report in June 2020, months after the original, because the pandemic has in ‘just a few short months, transformed people’s lives on an unprecedented scale, impacted every industry, and altered the course of companies’ growth’.
The report found that the pandemic had amplified innovation to historic levels and how important it is to leverage data, insights and intelligence to create experiences and systems that value people.
In short, technology is the key to empowering people and business, particularly in the COVID-19 era.
Over the next 10 years, the following 12 trends will likely continue to have a marked impact on organisation, market and economy; disrupting foundations and changing global directions in the process.
Renewable Energy
As climate considerations continue to shape conversations in boardrooms, so will the innovations that shape how organisations and industries approach energy investment and usage. According to the Motley Fool, renewable energy has evolved significantly over the past few years and the trend will continue over the next five years.
Global Internet Penetration
A critical statistic, internet penetration is key to education, poverty, economic growth and business and it has doubled over the past ten years according to the World Economic Forum. The next billion internet users are likely to emerge from Asia and Africa as the continents continue to expand connectivity and access across vast rural areas.
Automation of knowledge work
Automation remains a pivot point for organisations looking to optimise costs and performance.
Internet of Things (IoT)
Rapid adoption of low frequency networks such as SigFox and LoRA, the drop in the cost of sensors and the need for reliable insights will create the perfect storm of IoT innovation and likely finally see the vision of IoT predicted more than 10 years ago.
Cloud Technology
The cloud has gone from vague idea postulated by technology minds to vast virtual expanses of solutions that have adapted to specific organisation needs and privacy requirements. Cloud will only grow more powerful and ubiquitous over the next few years.
Advanced Robotics
Intelligent systems, machine learning, data-driven decision making. These are the terms that are set to define industries as they increasingly lean on robotics to improve productivity and potential.
Next-generation genomics
Healthcare has undergone rapid and extraordinary change thanks to the global pandemic and this will only continue as organisations recognise the value of healthcare innovation and development. As they say, the first person to live to 200 has already been born…
Virtual and Augmented Reality
While still fluttering on the outskirts of mainstream adoption, it’s very likely that these technologies will find their footing and value over the next 10 years. This growth will be supported by increasingly relevant use of data and intelligent insights.
3D Printing
This could potentially change multiple problem points for the manufacturing industry and the average organisation by reducing costs, improving carbon footprints and re-using resources.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
If the past few years are anything to go by, AI is going to keep on disrupting industry and business. Already AI has been appointed to the board of an organisation in China, and already it has helped the humans make decisions that have transformed profit and investment thanks to its ability to sift through vast reams of data.
Advanced oil and gas exploration and recovery
A controversial space, but one that will continue until the need for these resources is gone.
Autonomous transport
It’s already here, but there are challenges and already someone has been arrested for sleeping behind the wheel of their self-driving car. What lies ahead is a complicated mix of legislation, safety and proof point but also, very likely, the first reliable self-driving car.
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Article published in partnership with AYO Technology Solutions.
