Some trends shaping technology

1. The hyper-personalization of everything

The more data collected about an individual, the more businesses believe they can understand and market to users. This belief has extended to industries, from packaged consumer goods to self-driving vehicles and beyond. Collaboration across industries is driven to better understand users and provide them with better products.

2. The smart home targets the senior citizen market

As generations of older people become tech-savvy, new markets open up. Smart home technology will enter the elderly market as a passive monitoring aid.

3. Malls are out. Retail moments are in

Traditional retail stores may be struggling, but shopping itself is as popular as ever – only the channels of purchase are changing. Retail is expanding and starting to enter new areas of life. One technology trend is that retail operations will take place in new spaces such as cars, offices, or gyms.

4. Maps technology will become a layer for all kinds of real-world data

Smartphone mapping apps will start to become a middle layer for everything from communication to data compilation. From smart home mapping to environmental data to social applications, maps will no longer be from point A to point B. Maps will be smarter and more powerful, enabling these technological trends become the newest layer we interact with.

5. Last-mile delivery gets automated

Last-mile delivery could be the first to be fully automated. Currently, last mile delivery accounts for about 30% of total delivery costs. Major grocers and retailers have begun piloting automated vehicles for delivery across the United States.

6. Tech comes for your sleep

Technology has infiltrated your waking hours. Now it’s coming to your sleep. We will see that the “Trojan horse” entering the sleep market is wearable technology. From established startups like FitBit and new entrants, expect more sleep technologies to enter the market this year.

7. Data becomes a hot-button negligent issue

Conflicts between citizens, governments and technology companies over user data are likely to intensify this year, as the trend of data localization begins to apply around the world. With large-scale data breaches, there will be many negative reactions associated with data holding and possession.

8. Smart buildings maximize comfort, wellness and efficiency

From the home office to the coworking space, there has been a new emphasis on comfortable workspaces. This year, “comfortable use” is a yardstick for smart buildings and workplaces to attract new tenants.

9. Buses and logistics providers go green

Convincing individual consumers to switch from gas-powered cars to electric cars is difficult. This is why electrification will start with large fleets of vehicles, run by governments or companies. One technology trend worth watching is the growth of electric vehicles, especially in public transport and road transport.

10. China sets the bar for social network innovation

In July 2018, China’s Bytedance estimated that 500 million users worldwide are active users of TikTok every month. To keep up, four months later Facebook launches a similar app called Lasso – we’ll see more activity related to the China-based social network influencing Western tech trends.

11. Electric vehicle makers expand into lifestyle products and services

Electric vehicles require a lot of time from their owners, taking up to 2 hours to charge the battery. Electric vehicle companies are trying to turn this idle time into an asset. China Nio Company has provided options for customers including co-working spaces, kindergartens and nap rooms at charging stations; Tesla is following suit. Electric vehicle companies will sell luxury, environmentalism and lifestyle to compete with traditional vehicles.

12. Tech apprenticeships grow in popularity

Companies like Lambda and Flatiron are offering tech internships that focus on demand for tech skills with the explicit goal of getting a job, tuition is paid as a percentage of salary students’ future. Big tech companies are following suit with in-house programs and we should see more.

13. Digital swag makes big money

In July 2018, Epic Games’ free-to-play Fortnite hit $1 billion in revenue, entirely from in-game purchases. The craze around digital merchandise and collectibles is the next tech trend. For individuals, they provide personalized, immersive experiences; Open up new revenue streams for businesses.

14. Your home will be the new health clinic (The new healthcare clinic is your home)

The lack of widespread medical care is a big problem. While telemedicine can solve some of the flaws, tech startups are offering a new delivery method: home medical kits. These companies are aligning health care best practices against other D2C (Direct to Consumer) companies, such as allowing automatic top-ups and allowing personalization; is a combination of many medical services in home models.