The era of life changing technology is upon us. The year 2020 forced many changes which will, inevitably, be moved into and advanced in 2021. With extensive research, I have put together 5 of the biggest technology advances I expect to see this new year.

It is safe to say that everyone is sick and tired of hearing about COVID-19 after it shook the world in 2020.

However, the science and technology behind the speedy testing kits and recent development of vaccines by the US and UK- based pharmaceutical companies: Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca have been huge technological advances.

According to the History of Vaccines, Vaccine development often takes 10-15 years and involves a long, complex process.

However, the Pfizer-BioNTech took less than 1 year to be approved and rolled out.

What I found most interesting, was that unlike other vaccines, Pfizer is an mRNA vaccine, that when injected, teaches our cells how to make ‘spike proteins’ that triggers an immune response, thus preventing us getting harmfully infected if the real virus enters our body.

This technological innovation is the first in human history which I believe we will see more of through 2021 as the developments continue.

AI is quickly becoming the ‘new normal’ in many different aspects of life.

For example, Forrester Research predicts that in 2021, more than 1/3 of companies will introduce AI to help with workplace changes such as the growing norm of remote working.

In 2021, we can expect Artificial intelligence and machine learning to be the main driver of emerging technologies such as big data, robotics, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

To find out more information about Artificial Intelligence, I’ve previously written an article about AI will shape the future: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-artificial-intelligence-shape-future-becca-vines/

As mentioned above, AI will be a huge driver in the rise of IoT – Internet of Things – in 2021.

In particular, the demand of ‘Smart Cities’ and ‘Smart Homes’ will increase.

This means that the adaption of technology will make homes more interactive, for example, with lighting and heating.

An advantage of a smart home is that you can control your appliances from your phone/tablet, saving you time and money. However, there have been previous disadvantages to smart home tech, especially with security.

According to Mike Armistead, VP of HP’s Fortify, smart home tech runs on a variation of Linux, so they are subject to similar security concerns that computers are.

Nevertheless, these hurdles have straightforward solutions such as two-step authentication and using a VPN.

Regardless of the disadvantages, the conveniency and affordability of this IoT is proving to be key enabler of the smart home market growth for 2021.

After the networks began to launch in 2019, 2020 saw the expansion and coverage increase across the world.

However, the first smartphones to hit the market with 5G were expensive, like Samsung’s $1,300 Galaxy S10 5G.

Nonetheless, prices for 5G phones have rapidly fallen over the past several months as the global pandemic dampened consumer spending.

To help increase the purchases of 5G smartphones, the mobile industry has promised consumers of speeds up to x100 faster than current 4G speeds and increased connectivity with the growth of ‘Smart Cities’ (as mentioned in IoT) that 5G will help enable.

According to Strategy Analytics, the number of 5G smartphones is expected to more than double to 600 million in 2021. Also, there are more than 380 operators currently investing in 5G and more than 35 countries have already launched commercial 5G services.

The development of this technology will clearly drive and support many industries over the next 12 months, in particular, the mobile industry.

Both areas have seen rapid growth in 2020 and are expected to continue growing through 2021.

Abodoo, which launched in 2017, is a platform that help people and businesses with ‘SmartWorking’.

In a nutshell, those seeking remote or flexible work create a free skills profile that matches them with opportunities.

Through these unprecedented times, a corporate tool, like Abodoo, allow many to successfully work remotely and help companies become more adaptable to these changes.

Additionally, organisations have embraced video technology and made huge adjustments to working practices to remotely onboard new employees and ensure the wellbeing of staff is maintained through these challenging circumstances.

The emerging technology of EdTech – Education Technology – will see huge growth in 2021 as it is used to support teaching and everyday management of educational institutions e.g., information sharing platforms and communication tools.

With the current climate and government not being able to disclose when schools and universities will be able to re-open their doors physically, the virtual support of EdTech will be massive this year.

Technology has become embedded throughout the new generation of young people, with 46% of 5–15-year-olds having their own smartphone and 49% having their own tablet, this technological innovation will prove useful in 2021 for e-learning.

Written by Lucid Support