Member Article

Future Matters in product development

North East companies are being urged to sign up to get an insight into the future of their business at the IT Works exhibition in Sunderland this week. Demonstrating how companies can anticipate the future and stay up to date with the ever-changing demand for new products, consultants from the Future Matters initiative will showcase successful visioning techniques employed by the likes of Daimler Chrysler, 3M and Nokia during two interactive sessions.

Highlighting emerging technologies planned to protect our health, prosperity and virtual identity, the sessions will paint scenarios of life in 2020 and draw attention to the in demand products of the future.

Phil Shakeshaft, Head of Future Matters, said: “In 20 years time, the world we live in will be a radically different place. We will be using a whole new range of products which employ technology yet to be developed. In the field of personal security, location tracking, biometrics and micro devices used to monitor our health could all be part of a new insurance industry where one policy protects our personal and virtual integrity against cyber theft or personal harm. Our insurance premiums could be adjusted daily according to how we live our lives and whether we drive carefully, eat well or exercise.

“This might seem far fetched, but markets never even contemplated ten years ago are emerging all around us. Whatever the sector, industry is changing. And as well as potential challenges, these changes bring a host of opportunities for North East companies.”

The IT Works takes place on 5 and 6 July. For more information about Future Matters’ sessions at the event, contact Alison Stott on 01915164411 or email alison.stott@futurematters.org.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .