Another year has come and gone and another year is upon us. Technology is an ever-evolving topic and 2022 won’t be any different with growing trends and innovations. Anis Uzzaman, General Partner and CEO of Pegasus Tech Ventures, shares an article on Inc.com of the top 10 technology and business trends that we’ll likely encounter in the coming year.

Momentum in Life Science Technologies. “The life science industry comprises pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, environmental sciences, biomedicine, nutraceuticals, neuroscience, cell biology, and biophysics. Partially because of increased investments in mRNA vaccine technology and high-performance Covid-19 testing, 2021 has driven great innovation in life science technologies. Examples of this innovation include the mRNA-based vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and by Moderna. Recent Covid drug developments by Merck have also pushed the life science industry forward rapidly.”

Networking and Interconnectivity: Expansion of 5G-6G and Satellite-Based Internet Usage. “As remote working becomes commonplace, internet reliability becomes more vital than ever. The internet of things (IoT) makes the internet a more integral part of our lives, and developments at all network levels will continue to drive research and push the internet economy forward.”

High-Performance Computing Becomes Mainstream. “Given the recent growth of big data-based research and analysis and cloud-based computing, expect high-performance computing usage to surge in 2022. From drug discovery to cancer research to space exploration, high-performance computing will become increasingly important, and quantum computing technology needs to keep up with business demand.”

Continued Growth in Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analytics, and Cloud Computing. “A.I. has become an integral part of our lives. From improvements to personalization, ranking search results, recommending products, and understanding and controlling devices to building better models of the environment to automating industry, we see the application of artificial intelligence everywhere as we look toward 2022. According to a report published by Facts & Factors, the global predictive analytics market is growing at a compound average growth rate of around 24.5 percent and is expected to reach $22.1 billion by the end of 2026. We will also see massive growth in cloud computing. By 2022, the cloud will be more entrenched and more computing workloads will run on the cloud.”

Internet Security and Privacy Dominate. “As the world becomes more digital, we’re seeing an increased number of personal and organizational cyberattacks around the world. In 2022, we’ll see cyberattacks across sectors, and we will see the industry take a variety of counteractive measures. Defending against cyberattacks will include educating individuals so they can identify and avoid network assaults, thereby safeguarding their company’s image.”

The Metaverse Will Shine in 2022. “The metaverse is a digital reality combining social media, online gaming, augmented reality, virtual reality, and cryptocurrencies to allow virtual user interaction. We expect the metaverse to be immersive, ubiquitous, and free to access. It will create an entire ecosystem for developers, apps, ads, and new digital innovations. The metaverse will facilitate convenience, consumption, and a frictionless access to services.”

NFT Platforms Will Boom. “A non-fungible token (NFT) is a digital object: computer code and data that conveys ownership of something. In 2022, we are likely to see NFTs everywhere; this includes in movies, TV shows, books, and more. NFTs are part of the digital economy and are becoming mainstream because they allow people to own something that represents a part of something bigger than themselves — a piece of art or a character, for example. The digital economy is made up of a variety of online markets, including game economies, virtual real estate, and even social media platforms like Facebook.”

The Robotics Sector Will Become More Prevalent. “We expect to see an increased use of robotics in everyday life during 2022. Usage will include the health care, agriculture, automotive, warehousing, and supply chain management sectors, and we will see more robotics-based automation that will continue to progress.”

Increased Urgency in the Renewable Energy Technology Sector. “According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), 40 percent more green energy was generated and used in 2020; the agency expects continued growth in 2022. While newer energy technologies like nuclear fusion, biofuel, and liquid hydrogen might take longer to come full circle, we look forward to serious advancements in 2022.”

Blockchain Technology Prevails. “Blockchain, an innovative breed of distributed ledger, enables companies to track a transaction and do business with unverified parties — even without the assistance of financial institutions. This new capability significantly lessens business conflicts; it also adds other benefits such as append-only data structure, transparency, security, immutability, and decentralization.”