Revealed: the five key emerging trends for technology innovation

Research giant Gartner has identified the five key trends predicted to have the most significant transformational impact over the next five to ten years, including advanced AI and analytics, and sensing and mobility.

The five trends have emerged from 29 technologies included in Gartner’s Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies 2019. This Cycle specifically focuses on the set of technologies that show promise in delivering a high degree of competitive advantage over the next few years.

In no particular order, these trends are:

Advanced AI and analytics

Advanced analytics is described as the autonomous or semi-autonomous examination of data or content using sophisticated tools beyond those of traditional business insights. It enables deeper insights, predictions and recommendations. 

Gartner says the technologies to track include adaptive machine learning, edge AI, edge analytics, explainable AI, AI platform as a service, transfer learning, generative adversarial networks and graph analytics.

Sensing and mobility

The combination of sensor technologies with Artificial Intelligence enables machines to better understand of the world around them, thus enabling mobility and manipulation of objects. Sensing technologies are a core component of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the vast amounts of data collected.

Enterprises seeking to leverage sensing and mobility capabilities should consider technologies such as 3D sensing cameras, AR cloud, light cargo delivery drones, flying autonomous vehicles and level four and five autonomous driving.

Digital ecosystems

Digital ecosystems are web-like connections between enterprises, people and things sharing a digital platform. Digitalisation has resulted in the deconstruction of classical value chains, leading to stronger, more flexible and resilient webs of value delivery. In the future, these will include decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs), which operate independently of humans and rely on smart contracts.

The critical technologies for businesses to consider here include DigitalOps, knowledge graphs, synthetic data, decentralised web and decentralised autonomous organisations.

Postclassical compute and comms

Advancements to core computing, communication and integration technologies have previously been made through improvements in the traditional architectures – from faster CPUs to increasing throughput. However, the next generations of these technologies will adopt entirely new architectures.

Gartner says this category includes not only entirely new approaches, but also incremental improvements that have potentially dramatic impacts. These will include 5G, next-generation memory, nanoscale 3D printing and low earth orbit satellites providing low latency internet connectivity globally.

Human augmentation

Augmented human advances are focused on the creation of cognitive and physical improvements as an integral part of the human body.

According to Gartner’s predictions, technology such as biochips, augmented intelligence, emotion AI and immersive workspaces will continue to grow in popularity over the next five to ten years. However, biotech, particularly cultured or artificial tissue, is expected to take longer, not maturing for over ten years.

Brian Burke, Research Vice President at Gartner explained why it is so important to track these emerging developments: “Technology innovation has become the key to competitive differentiation. The pace of change in technology continues to accelerate as breakthrough technologies are continually challenging even the most innovative business and technology decision-makers to keep up.

“Technology innovation leaders should use the innovation profiles highlighted in the Hype Cycle to assess the potential business opportunities of emerging technologies.”