The future is connected, smarter and robotic

• 5G will make cities and agriculture smarter and provide new opportunities to tackle sustainability challenges
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• Long-awaited technologies will finally talk to each other
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• More robots coming into the workforce
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New Zealand, 13 December 2019 —Deloitte has released the 19th edition of its Technology, Media & Telecommunications Predictions, which suggests that long awaited technology advances are just about to arrive.

“Until now, technology has been advancing in fairly discreet fields,” said Grant Frear, Deloitte Partner. “In 2020 we expect to see a number of technologies begin to work together and bring a long-awaited mesh of capabilities. We will see AI chips used in a wider variety of devices, an increased use of 5G technology and more intelligent robotic assistants in our homes and workplaces. We predict that many technologies will begin to finally ‘talk’ to each other in 2020. And, in connecting these technologies we will see opportunities for smarter cities and a smarter agricultural sector that is better able to tackle the dual challenges of productivity and sustainability.”

Grant Frear, Deloitte Partner, went on to say, “New Zealand has a challenging geography which means we don’t always have fast, reliable access to the internet. As many of us take a break over summer, and enjoy the outdoors, this lack of coverage brings a welcome break from our devices. However, for businesses striving for fast and efficient manufacturing, processing and production in our regions, these connectivity issues are simply holding them back.

“With AI chips coming down in price and 5G networks becoming a reality, I’m confident that our innovative regions and agricultural sector will use these advances to better manage sector productivity and their environmental impacts.”

Focussing on the trend towards technology connectivity Grant Frear, Deloitte Partner, said, “Deloitte has identified a canopy effect where edge AI chips, robots and private 5G will soon be working together, and promising innovations like low-earth orbit satellites finally come to life. In this new context we can expect our smart phones, manufacturing businesses, and healthcare robots to all take a step up and provide a better experience for the people they serve.”

“This intersection of people and technology is clearest in the realm of professional service robots,” said, Grant Frear, Deloitte Partner. “While we expect to see the market for industrial robots (which are often robotic arms) in 2020 to reach nearly US$18 billion, a nine percent increase over 2019; professional robot sales will grow at a far greater pace. Of the almost one million robots we expect to be sold for enterprise use in 2020, we predict that just over half of them will be professional service robots, generating more than US$16 billion in revenue—30 percent more than in 2019.”

“These robots will be helping the humans they work with, rather than replacing them. Often used in logistics, professional service robots are critical in fulfilling our demand for online shopping in a globally connected market place. In doing so, they are also accelerating the fourth industrial revolution and are sign of a rapidly changing workplace where we rely more and more heavily on technology to assist us in our lives.”

Full report available here.

ENDS

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