- 3D printed bone grafts
Scientists have been studying how to use 3D printing of biomaterials to create artificial organs for years. Making fleshy organs is still difficult, but bones are not so troublesome. Two start-ups, Particle 3D and ADAM, hope to have 3D-printed bones for human transplants in 2022. Both companies use calcium-based minerals as printing materials, and the printing size is based on the CT examination results of patients. Particle 3D’s experiments in pigs and mice found that bone marrow and blood vessels grew into the implant within eight weeks. ADAM says its 3D printed implants stimulate the natural growth of human bone, which undergoes biodegradation and is eventually replaced by the patient’s bone tissue. If all goes well, 3D printing blood vessels and heart valves will be the next goal, the researchers said.
2. Solar Geoengineering Technology or Solar radiation modification (SRM)
The best-known form of solar geoengineering involves spraying particles into the stratosphere, sometimes known as “stratospheric injection” or “stratospheric aerosol scattering. By reflecting sunlight back into space, the particles in the stratosphere helped push global temperatures down about 0.5 °C over the next two years. Many start-ups work towards this technology.
3. 5G Technology
5G is the fifth-generation wireless technology. It can provide higher speed, lower latency and greater capacity than 4G LTE networks. Connected cars, smart stadiums and advanced gaming—they all will rely on 5G networks.
4. Hydrogen-powered aircraft
Hydrogen has a specific energy that is 3 times higher than traditional jet fuel but has a lower energy density. In aircraft carbon fibre tanks are used, which can sustain a pressure of 700 bar. Cryogenic liquid hydrogen is also used. Electrifying road traffic is one thing, electrifying aircraft is another. Batteries can only support small planes for short flights. Can hydrogen fuel cells work? Several hydrogen fuel cell airliners are set to fly in 2022.
5. Direct Air Carbon Capture
Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes global warming, so why don’t we use machines to pump it out? Direct air capture (DAC) technologies extract CO2 directly from the atmosphere. Today, two technology approaches are being used to capture CO2 from the air: liquid and solid DAC. Several start-ups are working on direct air carbon capture technologies.
6. Vertical farming
This is a booming new type of agriculture. A vertical “farm” grows crops on stacked pallets with a closed and controlled environment. Efficient LED lighting has reduced planting costs, but energy costs are still a burden. Vertical farms can be located close to customers to reduce transportation costs and reduce emissions. Water use is minimized, and pests cannot get close, so pesticides are not necessary. Vertical farms typically grow economically valuable leafy greens and herbs, although companies are experimenting with tomatoes, peppers and berries.
7. Artificial meat
Artificial meat can be grown without harming animals, simply by extracting cells from them and placing them in a solution rich in proteins, sugars, fats, vitamins and minerals. In 2020, EatJust became the first company approved to sell faux meat in Singapore. More companies will join by 2022. Eco-conscious meat lovers will soon get their steak and eat it up.
8. Advanced chemistry cell batteries
Advance Chemistry Cells (“ACCs”) are the new generation advance storage technologies that can store electric energy either as electrochemical or as chemical energy and convert it back to electric energy as and when required
9. Graphene
Graphene has a lot of promise for additional applications: anti-corrosion coatings and paints, efficient and precise sensors, faster and efficient electronics, flexible displays, efficient solar panels, faster DNA sequencing, drug delivery, and more.
10. Sail container ship
Greenhouse gas emissions from ships account for 3% of global emissions and burning marine fuel oil can also cause acid rain. That wasn’t a problem in the age of sails—so, sails are back, but in a high-tech guise.
11. VR Workout
Most people don’t get enough physical activity daily. Many people are willing to exercise but lack motivation (virtual reality) headsets allow people to play games while burning calories, instructing players to smash or chop oncoming objects or dodge obstacles with squats and shakes. VR workouts have gained traction during the Covid-19 pandemic, as gyms can’t open, and consumers are greeted with powerful but inexpensive headsets.
12. HIV and malaria vaccines
The new coronavirus vaccine based on messenger RNA technology has achieved great success, heralding the golden age of vaccine research and development. Moderna is developing an HIV vaccine based on similar technology, which will enter early clinical trials in 2021, with preliminary results expected in 2022. Biontech is developing a malaria vaccine based on messenger RNA technology, with clinical trials expected to start in 2022.
13. Flying electric taxi
Flying electric taxis, or vertical take-off and landing electric aircraft in the mouth of the industry, has long been regarded as a fantasy, but now they are getting closer to reality. Several companies around the world will ramp up test flights in 2022, hoping to obtain commercial certification in the next year or two.
14. Heat pump
Heating in winter accounts for about a quarter of global energy consumption. Most means of heating require burning coal, natural gas or oil. This must change if the world is to meet its climate change goals. The most promising alternative is a heat pump basically a refrigerator that runs in reverse.
15. Space tourism
2021 will be a year of brilliant achievements in space tourism, and people are looking forward to 2022 as companies bring ordinary people to the sky with the support of billionaires. In 2022, the number of global self-funded space travellers is expected to exceed the number of official astronauts for the first time.
16. Drone delivery
The take-off of drone delivery has taken longer than expected, but new rules that go into effect in 2021 will help drone delivery take off in 2022.
17. Silent supersonic plane
For half a century, scientists have wondered if the intensity of a sonic boom could be reduced by changing the shape of a supersonic plane. Only recently have computers advanced enough to perform the necessary simulations to put noise reduction theory into practice.
18. 3D printed houses
Architects often use 3D printing technology to create miniature scale architectural models. This technology can also be scaled up to build real objects. The foam-like print material is ejected from the nozzle and then hardens. After layer by layer, a house is printed. The printing operation can be carried out directly on-site, or the house can be disassembled into several components to be processed in the factory, and then shipped to the site for assembly.
19. Sleep Technology
This is the new wave of Silicon Valley. Not content with maximizing productivity and performance while awake, computer nerds are now busy using a range of techniques to optimize their sleep. Related products include rings and headbands to record and track sleep quality, machines that hypnotize with soothing sounds, devices to heat and cool mattresses, and smart alarm clocks that wake you up at the perfect moment.
20. Personalized Nutrition
Diet alone is not enough. Evidence is mounting that everyone’s metabolism is unique, and so should food choices. Welcome to the world of personalized nutrition: mobile apps use algorithms to tell you when and what to eat, measure your blood and gut microbiome, count lifestyle data including physical activity, size devices to track blood sugar levels in real-time. Some companies will also seek regulatory approval for their treatments for conditions such as diabetes and migraines.
21. Health smart wearable products
The growing popularity of remote medical care is likely to change the development landscape of smart health wearables. Currently, such products are mainly used for sports and fitness, but some consultancies believe that the line between consumer and medical use of such products is becoming more and more blurred.
Today’s smartwatches can measure blood oxygen, do electrocardiograms, and detect atrial fibrillation. The next-generation Apple Watch, expected in 2022, may incorporate sensors for monitoring blood sugar, blood alcohol levels, blood pressure and body temperature.
22. The Metaverse
In 1992, American science fiction writer Neil Stephenson proposed the term “metaverse” in his novel “Avalanche” to refer to a permanent virtual world. In 2022, the metaverse is used to refer to the fusion of video games, social networking and entertainment to create new immersive experiences. Games like Minecraft and Fortnite can be seen as springboards to emerging mediums.
23. Quantum Computing
The idea that existed only on a blackboard in the 1990s has morphed into a competition between tech giants and start-ups: How to harness the extraordinary properties of quantum physics to create a new kind of computer?
When will such a computer come out? One indicator of quantum computer performance is the number of qubits. A Chinese team has built a computer with 66 qubits. But existing quantum computers have a fatal flaw: the quantum states they rely on last for less than a second. It will take many years to solve this problem
24. Virtual influencer
Unlike real influencers, virtual influencers are never late for photos, get drunk at parties, or grow old. “Lil Miquela” is one of the most famous virtual influencers, “she” is a fictional 19-year-old Brazilian-American girl with 3 million followers on social media platforms. An estimated $15 billion will be spent on influencer marketing in 2022, and virtual influencers will increase rapidly.
25. Brain-computer interface
In April 2021, entrepreneur Elon Musk excitedly posted on social media that a macaque was actually using a brain chip to telepathically play video games”. Musk’s “Neural Connections” company implanted two sets of electrodes into the brains of macaque monkeys. The signals from these electrodes are transmitted wirelessly and decoded by a nearby computer, allowing the macaques to move the racket in the game screen by mere thought. The “Neural Connections” company hopes to use its device for human trials in 2022, enabling paralyzed people to operate computers.
PhiGrowth Capital and Consultants 