DEFINITION July 2018

FEATURE WORLD MEGATRENDS

IT’S EASY TO FEEL OVERWHELMED IN THE FACE OF THESE TIDAL-WAVE FORCES OF CHANGE.

seeds and pine resin.

At the other end of the generation, there’s a whole new other end of the spectrum: it’s a generation that looks fundamentally different from any one before. This means a decline in the number of workers per retiree and pre-work age population, thus putting a strain on productivity and output. Innovations in digital health and robotics will help bridge the gap.” HYPER GLOBALISATION “Our lives and work are increasingly interconnected globally,” says Shane. “Formerly isolated challenges and opportunities scale with connectivity, amplifying both. When everything from technology and people to industries and governments are connected, digital platforms and ecosystems reign supreme, with digital security becoming more important than ever.” ACCELERATING INNOVATION “The pace of innovation is speeding up, which is causing fundamental shifts in world economies, industries and population centres. Such rapid innovation is transforming the way people work and live nearly as quickly, leading to the creation of new jobs while displacing others. And all of our technologies will get smarter. “It’s easy to feel overwhelmed in the face of these tidal-wave forces of change, but at HP, these are precisely the challenges that drive and excite us. As a company, our goal is to create technology that improves lives, so given these rising megatrends, we have identified several areas of opportunity where we feel confident we’ll make significant contributions to our society and our world. “BioConvergence – Nature- inspired fabrication will allow us to harness and mimic the natural processes and materials that surround us, along with technology to create goods customised for local markets and their demographics. Local, sustainable and affordable production will improve the lives of people all over the planet. Within technology, innovation that taps the power of nature — literally — is already here in lithium-ion batteries made of Alfalfa

“Beyond Human - With a growing population and changing demographics, our societies and economies will increasingly depend on technology to drive productivity, tackle health challenges more cost-effectively and improve our overall quality of life. “HP is already leveraging its microfluidics technology used to power Inkjet printing to help reinvent drug discovery. Our bio-dispensing systems enable drug research labs to improve the speed, efficiency and precision of in-lab drug trials, so scientists can more rapidly develop optimised drug mixes and doses to combat diseases. “These early steps are just hints of how profoundly technology is poised to deliver a better world. Artificial intelligence, wearable robotics, virtual reality — all of these technologies will combine to help us accomplish more, stay healthy longer and be more productive, augmenting our natural or waning abilities in the future with personalised AI assistants, smart robotic limbs and exoskeletons, or digital health technologies such as smart pills that decide what doses we should be taking. “Frictionless Business - Various disruptive technologies, including AI, blockchain and Internet of Things, are combining to enable transformation across business processes, ranging from faster automated product creation through generative design, to the streamlining of transactions using blockchain with applications ranging from crypto currencies to smart contracts. “With 3D printing, we’re laying the groundwork for how robotics, IoT and artificial intelligence will work together to completely reshape manufacturing — ushering in an era of small-batch, made-to-order, more energy-efficient production at micro-plants located near the cities where consumers live. This will put an end to the far-flung supply chains developed over the past century and eliminate many of the costs and pollution generated by today’s practice of shipping goods all over the planet.”

ABOVE This year at the Cannes Film Festival was HP’s 15th as a major sponsor. Part of that included an experience centre at the Barrière Le Majestic Hotel on the Croisette, top. Middle shows the The Palais des Festivals et des Congrès and bottom is a near deserted red carpet.

DEFINITION JULY 2018

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