Ten Innovations to Shape the Next Ten Years

Product innovation is crucial to societal and economic development within the UK. Paul Tranter, Chief Executive of Pera Technology, discusses the technologies that are already close to hitting the market and the innovations that he believes are on the horizon.

1. Rapid drink coolers

It makes sense that this type of technology, which rapidly cools individual drink cans, will be incredibly popular for social occasions as well as in retail applications; especially as soon as people start realising the true power costs of constant refrigeration. Pera Technology helped to develop a product innovation called V-Tex, through a consortium called ‘RapidCool’, that will do just this.

2. The internet of things

Due to the rise in smart phone and tablet computer use, there is an almost universal expectation of internet connectivity in any location. As this continues, innovative solutions to help devices talk together, and for free, will be required. I therefore expect proposals for products which use free to connect WiFi tags and radio frequency communications technology to start coming across my desk in the next few years.

3. The rise of ‘biological machines’

Synthetic biology is an extremely diverse but exciting field and can be defined as the design and construction of new biological parts, devices, and systems. It incorporates the re-design of existing, natural biological systems for useful purposes. The most recent example from Pera Technology is the cleaning of waste water using microbial fuel cells. You can see more at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1OYY4u0PqA

4. High power storage centres

As fully electrical vehicles become a common sight, high density storage centres will also become a necessity. These facilities will need to charge slowly from sustainable energy sources but also be able to discharge energy quickly. So there will be a need for large scale electrical energy stores, almost like huge batteries.

5. Alternative energy generators

Recent research from the University of Liverpool suggests that solar panels will come down in price and yet I believe the cost of installation may still remain prohibitive. In my mind, the solution is hybridisation and combining the installation cost so a house for example benefits from solar, with a bit of wind power, backed by a ground source heat pump. This would not only yield greater results but make energy generation less susceptible to changing weather conditions.

6. The power of microwaves

The catering industry harnessed the potential of microwaves for heating many years ago but it remains relatively ignored elsewhere. I expect to see rapid heat sources being used more widely for applications such as processing new material types and sterilising environments in the healthcare sector. I see microwaves replacing conventional gas and electrical heat sources in many industrial processes. This video illustrates an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD9XF-qSik8

7. Materials get smart

I’m confident that we will start seeing the next generation of "smart materials" within the next ten years; so materials that are able to change colour or even self-regulate temperature. From this we may see the development of products such as self-heating mats so that heating can be safely focussed on a single room, piece of process plant, or pipework section.

8. The next generation of paints and coatings

It’s easy to forget that everything around us has a finish or coating of some sort. There has been a large step-change from solvent based paints to water-based options in recent years. As eco-credentials become more important to companies and consumers alike, I expect to see new water-based solutions that provide a wider range of benefits to the modern consumer.

9. The rise of the drop box

As internet shopping continues to dominate the high-street, there is a growing call for convenient and secure delivery locations. We are already starting to see lockers at petrol stations and collection points at convenience stores but I’m expecting to see dedicated bins on the front of houses and the development of solutions featuring radio frequency ID tags.

10. Products designed just for you

The customisation of products is becoming much more common from the colour of the roof on a new car to a bespoke coloured fridge or trainers stamped with initials. I’m going to watch with interest to see how manufacturers and distributors deal with the challenge of these last minute custom changes and how it begins to seep into other markets such as customised medical kits.

To find out more about the funding available to SMEs looking to undergo new product development programmes via Pera Technology’s leap? service please visit www.peratechnology.com/leap.