In recent years, we have witnessed a time of global instability marked by pandemics, inflation, geopolitical turmoil, supply problems, blockades, etc.
This challenging landscape has also resulted in an ideal time to change how we do business and a turning point to adopt new technology solutions that help companies deal with these difficult times and turn them into a competitive advantage.
It’s time we take a look at the trends in tech that may and will guide 2023:
AI and Security.
Closely linked to IoT devices, one of the significant trends for 2023 will be securing the data exchanged between smart grids. Improving the security capabilities of such devices is going to be a priority for companies, and artificial intelligence will be central to this task.
The rise of 5G means faster communication and the ability to connect more devices. AI and Machine Learning bring a more proactive approach to security solutions and allow decision-making processes to be quickly automated and patterns to be created from incomplete or modified data.
The algorithms learn from accurate threat data, allowing them to detect dangers faster, achieve a minimum margin of error, predict potential threats and help cybersecurity experts create more robust protocols.
IoT for a hyperconnected world.
We are witnessing a time when IoT sensors and networks of connected devices have become a fundamental point to creating digital twins, building the metaverse, improving the operation of smart machines, or designing the cities of the future.
There are increasing smart devices in our personal and working life, but until now, we encountered some problems in communication problems due to different platforms or operating systems. Therefore, 2023 will be the year to develop global standards and protocols to communicate more effectively.
IoT technology collects and interprets the data collected by industrial machines and then provides information about the process to improve efficiency, save costs in production, detect new business opportunities and consumer trends or promote product innovation.
And we are only in the early stages of what can be achieved, as forecasts suggest that some 50 million IoT devices will be in use by 2023. This will create a massive network of interconnected devices that will provide greater security, efficiency, and decision-making for businesses as more data is collected and analyzed.
Blockchain to redesign trust.
Until now, online payment processes involving two parties have been done through an intermediary that verifies the data through a centralized system, which could lead to many problems. However, with the advent of blockchain technology and its decentralized model, the ultimate control of an organization is removed, and data is stored in an encrypted and much more secure way.
Decentralization creates new ways of transacting, communicating, and doing business and facilitating automation, translating into a massive boost in digital property.
Gartner forecasts that by 2025 the commercial value added by this technology will grow to more than $176 billion, which is why it has gone from being a technology exclusively for the financial sector or more related to cryptocurrencies to starting to be implemented in numerous sectors.
Blockchain is creating new business ideas, speeding up the process of verifying transactions, preventing fraud and cyber-attacks, and being highly efficient, reliable, and secure. This is why it will be crucial for doing business in the coming years to improve data tracking, create new billing systems, host patents, track sales processes, protect medical data, etc.
Digital Twins.
Digital twins have been positioning themselves for several years as one of the leading technological trends of the moment, especially if we talk about the industrial sector. These are not only digital replicas of objects, spaces, physical systems, or processes with which to obtain more accurate products, reduce costs or predict possible errors. They also open up a world of possibilities regarding testing and simulating whether the behavior of an industrial plant, for example, is adequate.
Physical entities can be digitized from point clouds, information can be segmented systematically and tagged, supply chains can be created and optimized, processes and equipment can be automated using other technologies such as AI, safety can be improved, quality control and predictive maintenance can be optimized, etc.
This technology allows us to change the components we want in the digital world until they are optimized and achieve their best version in the real world. It will completely change how business processes are perfected, improve efficiency and exponentially save costs in construction, aeronautics, healthcare, and education, among others.
Quantum Computing.
It is also one of the most popular trends gaining popularity in recent months and will mean a before and after in virtually all facets of our lives.
It is a form of computing that takes advantage of quantum phenomena such as superposition and entanglement. Its applications range from preventing the spread of diseases such as the coronavirus to developing new vaccines and managing risk and fraud in the financial sector.
The significant differentiating factor of this trend is that quantum computers are much faster than regular computers, which is why large companies such as Microsoft, AWS, and Google are putting a lot of effort into innovation in this field. In fact, their global market revenues are expected to exceed $2.5 billion in 2029.
Metaverse.
This trend has become a recurring theme in any conversation about the future of the technology sector. This environment has enormous economic prospects and is expected to reach $800 billion by the middle of this decade and $2.5 trillion by 2030. Regardless of the problems that Meta is having in shaping its plans, the metaverse, in its original conception, can provide excellent opportunities for companies in terms of increased social presence, remote working, payments, healthcare, product trading, etc.
Many companies are already using this environment to improve their products, give a different brand image or connect with their consumers. The industrial metaverse is one of the great hopes of the sector and for what is known as Industry 5.0. The applications are numerous, ranging from capturing and digitizing the real world, understanding and enriching data in virtual environments, or achieving sustainable objectives with cost optimization.
We are still far from seeing this digital universe that blends virtual and physical reality in a shared online space. Still, it will completely change how we work, shop, or have fun, and we have already begun to see some of its capabilities.
Superapps.
It arises from the combination of an application, a platform, and a digital ecosystem, all within the same application. It would be the technological equivalent of a Swiss army knife that combines many tools that share the same purpose and can be used or removed according to the needs of each user.
They run on the same platform that offers numerous services and where personalized, engaging, and far-reaching user experiences can be created. In fact, they enable the inclusion of desktop and mobile enterprise experiences, such as workflow, collaboration, and messaging platforms.
Over time, they will support chatbots, IoT-powered technologies, and immersive experiences like the metaverse.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA).
Closely linked to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, RPA automates business processes such as interpreting applications, processing transactions, handling data, or even responding to emails.
Its main advantage is that it automates repetitive tasks that used to be done by employees, allowing them to focus on more creative and productive tasks. It also saves costs, increases profitability, reduces time spent on time-consuming tasks, and has a lower probability of error.
Therefore, it helps leverage companies’ human talent and is very useful in collecting and storing various data in sectors such as finance, customer service, or human resources.
Renewable Energy.
The commitment to achieve business models that are more respectful of the environment is coupled with the energy crisis in which we are immersed. Combining both generates new formulas to reduce our ever-increasing dependence on hydrocarbons. For this reason, applied technology can reverse the situation.
Artificial intelligence is beneficial, especially for enhancing the benefits of renewable energies such as wind and solar power through predictive maintenance. Anomalies can be detected, and failures predicted before they occur, resulting in significant cost savings.
Green hydrogen is also one of the great hopes for the energy transition and for reducing the high level of emissions produced by industries such as transportation. Or floating wind technology makes the most of the wind while revitalizing coastal communities and bringing energy production close to the centers of consumption.
Sustainable Technologies.
It also appeared on our list of technology trends in 2022, and no wonder, as it has become a trend in itself that encompasses many others.
In recent years we have seen many companies make numerous changes to their business organization and put focus on reducing and tracking CO2 emissions, migrating to the cloud, optimizing and automating processes, etc.
Thanks to technologies such as AI, blockchain, cloud computing, extended reality, or robotics, among many others, a greener and more sustainable future can be created without sacrificing efficiency and business growth.