Read about this and various other predictions for the year, gleaned from a high-tech testing and measurements firm’s industry insights
This year, expect the cloud to be a surprising boon for businesses as they navigate economic uncertainty.
Any hesitancy to adopt network and cloud-based software and services due to security concerns will be addressed through robust encryption capabilities and greater access control of measurement parameters and data, providing users with unparalleled assurance of data integrity from probe to the cloud—and back.
As a result, we expect more cloud and network security investments to help enterprises protect the ever-expanding threat surface in the year ahead. In a downturn we can also expect automation and robotics to be in high demand. Expect heightened investment in tools that automate repetitive simulations and measurement tasks, ensure the validity of results by catching and fixing errors, and improve measurement quality by eliminating human-induced variability. Through these and other automation capabilities, workers will be freed to act on the new insights gleaned so that they can focus on other, more strategic initiatives.
Over the next five years, data monetization efforts will accelerate, with CIOs favoring solutions with low-code extensibility, intuitive user experiences, and prolific APIs for maximum composability — all culminating in breakthrough analytical insights.
Cybersecurity hotspots in 2023
Deepfake technology has matured enough for hackers to successfully leverage it on a larger scale this year. We will see an increase in image generation, generated audio, and conversations that appear realistic, designed to trick recipients into sharing personal data or other sensitive information. Threat actors can now easily spoof a Fortune 100 CEO in an attempt to defraud or otherwise damage the organization.
Also, with increased IoT adoption, expect threat actors to infiltrate webcams, microphones, Smart TVs and other connected devices, demanding money transfers or bank account details. As this happens, IoT manufacturers will have to formulate their response to IoT-based extortion.
Operational Technology attacks will also escalate, designed to disable or destroy system availability with the end goal of harming people.
A year of digital twins simulations
Real-world use cases for digital twins will increase in various sectors ranging from healthcare to manufacturing to retail; from virtual caregivers/ companions to surgical AI assistants, to gaining insights on how decisions affect sustainability by modeling planned changes to see how an entire ecosystem can be impacted and adjusted. Expect to see more companies cropping up next year to help further blur the line between the physical and virtual worlds.
With R&D efficiency a priority in 2023, we can also expect to see increased use of digital twins for system design and testing. This approach enables faster design cycles, more efficient co-design of hardware and software, a more robust product, and reduced costs while also delivering benefits in improved manufacturability and serviceability. This year, we anticipate a shift to connected platforms in which complete products are designed and tested via a digital twin.
Product recalls set to explode
At the same time, product recall rates are set to rise between 2023 and 2026. Supply chain issues had previously caused rapid redesigns of products using substitute parts, with many revisions not meeting expected specifications. As a result, we expect there will be an increase in product failures as a wave of these products hits the market.
Also, due to faster 5G rollouts accelerating demand and expectations, products involving this level of complexity need to meet more compliance and connectivity standards, operate across a much wider range of often unknown conditions, and are expected to be backward compatible with other systems that are not yet in the market. As a result, we anticipate that product developers will be tempted to build do-it-yourself (DIY) digital twins instead of buying them.
However, taking DIY shortcuts may lead a spike in product recalls.
6G will open new doors
Aggressive showcase objectives for 6G include the 2025 Osaka World Expo and the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. We can probably expect one of the two opening ceremonies to happen in the metaverse.
Fans will be able to participate in some Olympic events, and we will also see certain sports and, potentially, eSports run a 6G metaverse Olympics in parallel with the actual games, with at least one medal awarded within the metaverse.
6G technology will be far more expensive than its predecessors, so adoption disparities can be expected.
The industry is also running short on spectrum, which will ultimately become a barrier to future technologies. Therefore, expect the 2030s to focus on solving the spectrum challenges in order to allow future network innovations to thrive.
The Quantum potential in 2023
Organizations will begin to address key quantum challenges, including financial resources and operations, to develop real enterprise applications in this field by 2026.
Quantum technology can also facilitate navigation in remote areas with minimal satellite coverage, although cost is currently a barrier to adoption. However, as quantum becomes more prevalent and affordable, we will see emergency vehicles equipped with quantum sensors — with consumer vehicles eventually following suit.
Once quantum takes off sufficiently, it will be channeled to help fight climate change: for example, by improving decision-making through complex modeling and predictions, and enabling meteorologists to improve prediction of hurricane patterns and other weather events.
EVs, AVs and the power problem
Challenges remain in large-scale charging, charging infrastructure and battery technology advances needed to drive range and cost factors in Electric/Autonomous Vehicles (EV/AV).
Electric vehicle range anxiety will remain until 300+ miles is standard on a single charge and until high-speed charging in under 10 minutes is readily available. EVs will also require adoption of common standards by the entire ecosystem to be mainstream across the globe; and battery innovations such as silicon anodes and solid-state batteries will be needed to overcome barriers to adoption.
We expect that EVs will start to become an energy repository for users: intelligent applications will use calendars to determine the energy required for the next day’s travels, and individuals will utilize remaining battery power for their home energy needs. Major power providers are expected to awaken to this possibility by 2025 and be forced to reimagine static grid infrastructures.
We also expect new adoption to come from the construction industry, which can utilize EVs’ excess energy to power machinery that previously required cumbersome generators or numerous extension cords to function.
To meet the greener energy deadlines of 2035, it is vital that age groups that are averse to EV tech be encouraged to change their thinking. In many countries, this will be a key focus area in 2023, including government mandates and societal imperatives for carbon footprint reduction, and AI/ML use to drive the next level of energy-use management.
