Next-gen technology disruptors

Which of these emerging technologies would rule tomorrow is not an easy question to answer. — Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash

Flying taxis, AI corporate board of directors, unmanned banks... this is not a wish list from a sci-fi movie but a future that is becoming increasingly real. According to Ray Kurzweil, the American futurist, we're going to experience 20,000 years of technological change over the next 100 years. The pace of this disruption means, what was nascent a decade ago (technologies such as cloud, mobility, etc.) is well and truly commercialized now. The next wave of growth would come from today's rapidly emerging technologies.

Which of these emerging technologies would rule tomorrow is not an easy question to answer. The development of any technology goes through multiple evolutionary phases – from technologies at a nascent stage with high innovation focus, but lacking commercial momentum ("innovate" stage) to technologies attracting private investments ("incubate" stage). Finally, as the use cases mature, enterprises start spending at a commercial scale ("commercialized" stage). For a technology to cross the point of inflection to commercialized status, robust private investments, and strong R&D focus (intellectual property, patents) are the key precursors. The winning technologies also need to be high on buyer agenda, and be part of their medium- to long- term strategy. These disruptive technologies also need to attract significant focus and investment in talent and capabilities from technology providers.