Technology shapes how we live and work, enabling everything from high-powered telescopes to gene editing. It also drives scientific research and advances the very principles of science itself. But with so many innovations emerging at once, keeping up with the latest innovation can be challenging. This year, we’re seeing a few key trends taking center stage.
1. 5G: This ultra-high-speed network enables new, connected technologies. Its ultra-low latency supports the IoT and allows for the rapid transmission of virtual and augmented reality applications. It can also power drones and autonomous vehicles, allowing them to communicate with each other and with infrastructure in real-time. In healthcare, 5G could enable remote surgeries with haptic feedback, enabling surgeons to operate thousands of miles away from the patient.
2. AI: This enabling technology is making businesses smarter and more agile. It is reshaping industries at breakneck speed, automating tasks and transforming customer experiences. It is enhancing creativity and design processes, empowering humans to collaborate with machines. And it is advancing biotechnology, ushering in the age of personalised medicine with technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 and pharmacogenomics.
3. Robotics and automation: These advancing technologies are transforming industries in manufacturing, healthcare and logistics. Collaborative robots, or cobots, are working alongside people in factories and warehouses, boosting productivity and safety. Medical robots are performing minimally invasive surgical procedures with unprecedented precision. Drones and automated systems are optimising logistical operations and reducing travel costs. And 3D printing and additive manufacturing are enabling products to be customised on a mass scale and deliver micro-moments for consumers.