The McKinsey Tech Trends Index identifies the most powerful trends of the moment. Be careful: this isn’t because they’re eye-catching or sound like science fiction. These areas of technology are experiencing rapid growth because of their potential impact on societies. As a result, these are the trends that investors consider the most promising and those that generate the most new patents.
1. Next-level automation and virtualization
In recent years, many innovations have proven their worth and are now being implemented in businesses. When these technologies combine, they increase their performance tenfold, further streamlining your operations.
An improvement in your overall operational efficiency
Example : A manufacturer has implemented robots mounted on automatically driven vehicles to load goods. Human intervention is no longer required in this process, increasing operational efficiency while ensuring personnel safety.
2. Enhanced connectivity
The combination of 5G and the Internet of Things offers ultra-fast and efficient connectivity over longer distances. The time required to collect and download information is virtually eliminated.
Example : A Chinese train station uses 5G for incident and anomaly management, which are automatically detected using the Internet of Things.
3. Distributed infrastructures
In this trend, cloud computing goes hand in hand with a desire to minimize data movement ( edge computing ), in order to optimize the performance of your systems. This results in a reduction of each company’s physical infrastructure, but also a need for experts in programming these systems.
Enhanced cybersecurity
Example : A Chinese train station uses 5G for incident and anomaly management, which are automatically detected thanks to the Internet of Things.
4. Next-generation computing
Here, two types of computing come together to increase system performance. Quantum computing leverages quantum mechanics to solve problems more efficientlyThese specialized chips overcome some of the limitations of traditional chips
More efficient searches in unstructured data sets
Example : Quantum computing is helping the city of Beijing optimize traffic flow and reduce congestion between its city center and the airport.
5. Applied artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms are used to teach machines to recognize patterns and act on them. In this way, AI helps machines make sense of data of all kinds: visual, textual, or audio.
Reduction of operating costs
Example : In the automotive industry, a company combined Software 2.0 and artificial intelligence to create autonomous vehicles. Now on the road, these vehicles provide data that continuously optimizes their AI system.
6. Programming rethought (by machines)
Example : In the automotive industry, a company combined Software 2.0 and artificial intelligence to create autonomous vehicles. Now on the road, these vehicles provide data that continuously optimizes their AI system.
7. Zero Trust Architectures
The term “Zero Trust ” is ambiguous, but it represents a positive innovation for organizations. It represents a new IT security model, better suited to today’s business reality. It takes into account hybrid workspaces and remote working, protecting people, devices, applications, and data.
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