PREFET roadmapping exercise “Windows to the future: Top 20 trends in technology aiming at shaping the world”

The top 20 trends in future and emerging technologies: roadmapping scenarios, clusters, dreams and nightmares

 

With the purpose is to offer a vision of future and emerging technologies of greatest relevance that are inspiring, easy to understand and visually appealing to an audience of laymen and non-scientists, and at the same time sufficiently meaningful to be useful as an exercise of technology foresight for researchers and policymakers, PREFET project has worked on a roadmapping exercise now available. The document compiles top 20 trends in future and emerging technologies, and provides roadmapping scenarios, clusters, great opportunities (‘dreams’) and risks (‘nightmares’) around them.

 

These trends have been foresighted and prioritized following an evidence-based multi-layer (human, AI, crowd) and widely participatory knowledge method called PREFET Methodology, engaging thousands of international researchers and innovators.

 

The document is co-authored by 21 scientistis and technology developers in ICT, Biotechnology, Health Sciences, Energy and Environment, and experts in technology foresight and R&I management.

Some of the trends analysed include Chemputing & 3D Printing Molecules, Neuromorphic Computing and Biomimetic AI, Cognitive Augmentation & Intelligence Amplification, Regenerative medicine, Bioinformatics & AI in ‘Omics’, Cellular Senescence & Life Extension, Algae and Microorganisms Against Climate Change, High Temperature Superconductivity & Twist Electronics, Self-healing batteries and Net Zero Concepts & Beyond Smart Grids and Zero Power Sensors & Ocean Wiring and Sensing.

 

The document is available here

 

Background information

FET-Open and FET Proactive are now part of the Enhanced European Innovation Council (EIC) Pilot (specifically the Pathfinder), the new home for deep-tech research and innovation in Horizon 2020, the EU funding programme for research and innovation

 

Photo by Stephan Henning on Unsplash