Humanity seems to be at a crossroads. The climate crisis and a pandemic have called our collective attention to the way we have been living and its consequences. These realizations have no only influenced current policies. They will also affect our community’s direction in developing technology and innovations for various industries.
In this article, we will do a rundown of what we predict will be trends in the innovations sector.
#1 Artificial Intelligence
AI has already been powering so many of the latest technological innovations, and they’re only getting started. With machine learning or the science of getting computers to learn to do things without exactly programming them to do so, things will only get bigger and better for AI. The possibilities are exciting, and the applications for this technology can expand beyond the usual sectors.
Beyond the usual tech applications, artificial intelligence has now been used for various industries like food and transportation. Perhaps the next big thing in tech is an idea that would use AI for an unexpected, left-of-field application.
#2 Sustainable Energy
Sadly, it took a climate crisis for humanity to take renewable energy more seriously, but it has, of course, been around for decades. It’s not new tech but essential tech. Sustainable power sources should be our future, and any technological innovations developed here should consider this.
You don’t even need to be in the energy sector to take part in this. Apart from wind power and hydroelectric power, solar power system providers for commercial establishments allow you to power your innovation or your company sustainably.
#3 Sustainable Materials
As with sustainable energy, this trend is something that should be here for good. This is perhaps more relevant to product innovations, but sustainable materials can be integrated into many aspects of our work.
Ecologically conscious decisions can be made throughout your innovation process, from packaging your product to the materials used in building your headquarters. Whatever it is you are developing, it’s always an added boost to its marketability if it was made with minimal waste or recycled materials.
#4 Democratization of Content
If you think about it, most of the recent innovations in media have something to do with empowering people to generate their own content. Social media, after all, isn’t just about connecting people. It’s also about giving everyone a platform to create.
This is a trend that we foresee will continue. Today, celebrities are no longer just actors, musicians, and athletes. They are also vloggers and social media influencers. There is so much power in content creation, and future innovators should take note of that.
#5 Remote Control
From Zoom to Google Docs, many workspaces went digital and remote during the pandemic, and the prediction here is that it’s a setup that is here to stay.
As more and more people are inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine, it’s easy to think that we’re all going to return to “normal” soon. We have learned, however, that remote work isn’t just possible. It also has its merits.
For this reason, many workplaces will likely retain their remote work setup for the time being. This gives innovators a very welcome space to develop new products or services.
#6 Ethical Innovation
One trend that we see in the innovations industry would be an overall ethically conscious approach to your work. This is related to the previous points about using sustainable energy and materials, but this point also pertains to your enterprise’s bigger “why.”
Apart from the obvious goal of inventing a new product or service, your innovation should ultimately exist to improve everyday lives, save the planet, or help marginalized populations. This is a prediction we definitely hope will come to fruition.
Design Thinking
We started with AI, but we end with human empathy.
Design thinking is a human-centered approach to problem-solving. It emphasizes the human need for innovation and the importance of real human insight.
You’re probably already familiar with this, as the philosophy has been around for a while. Still, we predict that it will be an approach that will continue to spread and be utilized by innovators.
As with any prediction, take these with a grain of salt. If there’s one thing that we learned this past year, everything is ultimately uncertain. These trends are just here to inspire you, to help you take your own idea to the next level.
