< Previous1 /9 7 /10 2 TRL /9 A TOMIC MANUFACTURING, which is in the early Prototype Stage, is the field of research concerned with using existing and future Nano-Manufacturing expertise and know how to create perhaps the ultimate in precision manufacturing that allows us to add, remove, and transform material at the atomic scale. While this is still a nascent technology field recently researchers have been experimenting with it to create new materials, plastics, and semi-conductors, with future applications including Molecular Electronics and Molecular Robotics, as well as many others especially in the healthcare, manufacturing, and technology sectors. DEFINITION Atomic Manufacturing is the atomically precise production of finished goods in a manner such that every atom is in its own precise location without any deviation. EXAMPLE USE CASES While there are a variety of use cases for this technology the main ones include producing better and more scalable Molecular Assemblers and Quantum Computers, creating new materials, including Programmable Materials, improving the usefulness of Nanobots and Nano-Machines, reaching the end of Moore’s Law, and boosting the efficiency of certain renewable energy technologies such as Photovoltaics, among others. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade interest in the field will continue to accelerate, and interest and investment will continue to grow at an accelerating rate, albeit from a very low base, primarily led by organisations in the Aerospace, Defense, Manufacturing, and Technology sectors, with limited support from government funding and university grants. In time we will see Atomic Manufacturing be applied to some of the most important and challenging manufacturing applications but it will no doubt take a very long time to commercialise. While Atomic Manufacturing is in the early Prototype Stage, over the long term it will be enhanced by advances in Artificial Intelligence, Imaging, Molecular Robotics and Nano- Manufacturing, but at this point in time it is not clear what it will be replaced by. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, explore the field, establish a point of view, and re-visit it every few years until progress in this space accelerates. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 2 2 2 5 8 2 2 8 1972 1981 2001 2036 2066 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT ATOMIC MANUFACTURING STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘22, ‘23, ‘24 120311institute.com EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. MRL9 /9 3 /10 9 TRL /9 B IO-CONVERSION, which is in the Commercialisation Stage, is the field of research concerned with finding new methods to create and synthesise useful materials and products from the conversion of, and use of, biological matter. Recent breakthroughs in this area include the development of better Biofuels and the increasing use of Synthetic Biology technologies to help synthesise valuable Bio-Materials and chemicals which help organisations develop more sustainable Circular Economy products - many of which are now being used in the construction and fashion industries. DEFINITION Bio-Conversion is the conversion of organic matter into useful products using biological agents or processes. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today we are using Bio-Conversion to create valuable chemicals such as Bio-Plastics and pharmaceuticals from organic matter, as well as assist in the conversion of organic waste into energy via processes such as Anaerobic Digestion and Gasification in the energy sector. We are also re- engineering bacteria, fungi, and yeast, as well as other organisms, to metabolise biomass components which can be converted into a myriad of valuable products including military grade armour, drugs, polymers, and vaccines through the use of enzymatic pathways and fermentation. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade we will continue to see interest and investment in Bio-Conversion increase, primarily led by the Construction, Energy, Manufacturing, and Recycling sectors. While this is still an emerging technology it is proving to be an increasingly valuable one as we find new ways to produce an increasingly wide array of sustainable and valuable materials and products, many of which have novel properties. While Bio-Conversion is still in the Commercialisation Stage it could be enhanced by advances in Artificial Intelligence, Bio-Manufacturing, CRISPR, Quantum Computing, Synthetic Biology, and other technologies, however over the long term it’s unclear what it could be superseded by. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, explore the field, and establish a point of view. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 4 6 6 7 8 3 2 8 1961 1981 1998 2023 2044 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT BIO-CONVERSION STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘24 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 121311institute.com MRL9 /9 8 /10 9 TRL /9 B IO-MANUFACTURING, a GENERAL PURPOSE TECHNOLOGY, is a precision manufacturing technology that has been on the rise for decades but on a limited scale and it is only recently, thanks to the significant progress that has been made in the complimentary fields of Gene Editing, Gene Sequencing, Nano-Manufacturing and Stem Cell research, that it is now beginning to emerge from the relative shadows. Based on the concept of nature’s own factories, living organisms, Bio-Manufacturing is a revolutionary technology that could one day compliment, and in some areas even supplant and replace, 3D Printing, 3D Bio- Printing and 4D Printing. DEFINITION Bio-Manufacturing is the manipulation of living organisms to manufacture a product. EXAMPLE USE CASES While the future use cases for the technology are only limited by the cultures and organisms that we can create and genetically engineer, something which itself is beginning to accelerate at an exponential rate, they will likely include the ability to manufacture new bilogics, foods and medicines, as well as new organo-metallic lifeforms that can be used to create new, previously unimaginable materials and products, meanwhile, today’s use cases already include the ability to manufacture biofuels, bio-materials, drugs, enzymes, graphene, vaccines and much more. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade Bio-Manufacturing will continue to undergo a major shift, moving out of the academic labs that run and manage single product processes and into more automated, flexible, integrated, multi-product facilities that are run by some of the world’s largest companies - especially in the Biotech sector. However, many of the advances in the field will be reliant on advances in other fields such as Gene Editing, and the development of a larger, better funded, global ecosystem. While Bio-Manufacturing is still in the relatively early stages of its ascendancy it is highly likely that it will be replaced, and complimented by, new Bioreactor and Molecular Assembler technologies. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION Bio-manufacturing is a highly disruptive technology that is only just being productised. As a result, in the short to medium term, I suggest companies put it onto their radars and keep an eye on it. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 4 6 3 8 8 4 5 7 1942 1971 1982 1994 2036 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT BIO-MANUFACTURING STARBURST APPEARANCES: : ‘17, ‘18, ‘19, ‘20, ‘21, ‘22, ‘23, ‘24 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 122311institute.com MRL9 /9 6 /10 9 TRL /9 B IOREACTORS ARE becoming an increasingly acceptable way to produce a multitude of organic based products on demand, en masse, and at an affordable price, however, they still have some way to go before the cost of the products they produce meet those manufactured using traditional techniques. Over time, as significant progress continues to be made in the complimentary fields of Gene Editing and Bio-Manufacturing this technology will potentially play an increasingly important role in helping feed the world’s population, and create new medicines and products. DEFINITION Bioreactors carry out and progress natural and synthetic biological reactions on an industrial scale. EXAMPLE USE CASES While the future use cases for the technology are varied, ranging from helping to produce new compounds, drugs, materials and vaccines on demand and much more, at very low cost, today’s use cases include the ability to grow food, such as steak and turkey meat, and culture algae and microbes that produce alternative, green fuels. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade the technology will continue to mature, and it will be easier for organisations to separate out and refine the products they create. However, while, in part, advances in the field will rely on improvements in the individual processes and components, including membranes, pumps and sensors, that underpin it, the main advances, and therefore interest, in the sector, will be driven by developments in Gene Editing whose contributions will help organisations create a wealth of new products. As a consequence I expect the investment in the field, and the ecosystem, to grow at an incremental rate until 2025 after which it will accelerate. While Bioreactors are still in the ascending phase one day it is highly likely that they will be replaced, and complimented by, new Bio-Manufacturing and Molecular Assembler technologies. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION Bioreactors are a highly disruptive technology that has already been productised, albeit at an early stage. Companies should perform a thorough assessment of its medium to long term impact on their business and experiment with it, as appropriate. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 3 4 3 6 7 3 3 8 1940 1982 1986 1998 2034 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT BIO-REACTORS STARBURST APPEARANCES: : ‘17, ‘18, ‘19, ‘20, ‘21, ‘22, ‘23, ‘24 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 123311institute.com MRL5 /9 7 /10 5 TRL /9 M OLECULAR ASSEMBLERS are increasingly becoming science fact. Originally concieved over four decades ago it has taken time to get to the point where we finally have the basic technological building blocks to create basic, working prototypes that use natural and mechanical engineering principles to manipulate and assemble objects and matter at a molecular level. And as organisations see the potential of the, admitedly, still specialist technology, and the promise of being able to create anything on demand from just basic chemical building blocks, whether it’s a new organic lifeform or product, or a highly complex electro- mechanical product, ostensibly out of thin air, it is no surprise that Molecular Assemblers are increasingly being seen as the ultimate manufacturing platform. DEFINITION Molecular Assemblers are machines that can build virtually any molecular structure or product from simpler building blocks. EXAMPLE USE CASES While the future use cases for the technology are, arguably, limitless, ranging from helping to manufacture everything from complex electronics, such as drones and rocket engines, to everyday items, and everything in between, today’s use cases are restricted to manufacturing basic compounds, drugs and very basic drones and robots. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade our ability to create and manipulate nanoscale organic and non-organic machinary and processes that can be used to assemble products at the molecular level will continue to advance and, initially, it is my expectation that we will see a slow, incremental rise in the amount of investment and the size of the ecosystem. While Molecular Assemblers are still at the concept and early prototype stage, at this point in time the only technology that I can see replacing them is Atomic Assemblers, and the first prototypes of those is still decades away. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION Molecular Assemblers are a highly disruptive technology but they are still in the concept and early prototype stage. As a result, in the short and medium term, I suggest companies put it onto their radars and keep an eye on it. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 1 2 1 3 9 2 1 7 1935 1974 2013 2028 2062 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT MOLECULAR ASSEMBLERS STARBURST APPEARANCES: : ‘17, ‘18, ‘19, ‘20, ‘21, ‘22, ‘23, ‘24 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 124311institute.com MRL3 /9 8 /10 8 TRL /9 M ULTI-MATERIAL 3D Printing, which is in the Prototype Stage, is the field of research concerned with developing new ways to 3D Print complex multi- material products that, because of the properties of the technology, will be able to assume complex behaviours that wouldn’t otherwise be possible using traditional manufacturing techniques. recent breakthroughs in the space include the 3D Printing of multi-material Soft Robots and other objects. DEFINITION Multi Material 3D Printing is an additive manufacturing technology that prints complex multi-material products. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today we are using Multi-Material 3D Printing to print small scale multi-material objects such as Soft Robots and basic components. In the future the primary use case of the technology will be all encompassing and include the ability to print any dynamic or static object, whether it is made out of hybrid, non-organic, or organic materials, simple or complex. In short this will be one of the dominant manufacturing technologies of the future. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade interest in the field will continue to accelerate, and interest and investment will continue to grow, albeit from a low base, primarily led by organisations in the Consumer Electronics and Manufacturing sectors, with support from univesity grants. In time we will see the technology mature to the point where it is one of the defacto manufacturing technologies of the era. While Multi-Material 3D Printing is in the Prototype Stage, over the long term it will be enhanced by advances in 3D Bio-Printing, 3D Printing, 4D Bio-Printing, 4D Printing, and Materials, and one day it will likely be replaced by Molecular Assemblers. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, explore the field, establish a point of view, experiment with it, and forecast out the potential implications of the technology. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 4 4 7 6 9 4 1 9 1998 2002 2019 2027 2037 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT MULTI-MATERIAL 3D PRINTING STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘20 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 125311institute.com MRL6 /9 7 /10 9 TRL /9 N ANO-MANUFACTURING has been on the ascent for the past four decades but its progress was hampered by a lack of expertise and commercially available specialist equipment that could accurately construct products at a scale of a billionth of a meter, a nanometer. However, all of this has changed significantly over the past five years and now companies across all industries are experimenting and bringing nano-manufactured products to market. DEFINITION Nano-Manufacturing is both the production of nanoscale products and materials, and the bottom up or top down manufacture of macroscale products using Nano- Manufacturing tools and techniques. EXAMPLE USE CASES While the future use cases for the technology are varied, ranging from being able to replace harmful fats and sugars in everday foods with healthier nano-manufactured alternatives to creating new brain-machine interfaces, nanoscale computing platforms and nanobots that explore and repair our bodies, today’s use cases include creating new anti- venoms and commercial packaging, and manufacturing new materials and nanoceramics that can be used to boost the power efficiency of nuclear reactors, protect drones from laser attack, and manufacture new healthcare products, high performance clothing, running tracks, and much more. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade the technology will continue to progress and mature at an accelerating rate, and the number of use cases will continue to grow at an almost exponential rate. As a consequence, as the accessibility and affordability of the technology continues to improve, and as regulators increasingly green light its use, the global ecosystem will continue to expand and grow, and the adoption of the technology will continue to accelerate. While Nano-Manufacturing technology is still in the ascending phase one day it is highly likely that it will be replaced, and complimented by new Atomic Manufacturing, Bio- Manufacturing and Molecular Assembler technologies. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION Nano-Manufacturing is a highly disruptive technology that has already been productised. Companies should perform a thorough assessment of its medium to long term impact on their business and experiment with it, as appropriate. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 5 5 4 8 8 5 4 8 1982 1995 2001 2012 2035 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT NANO-MANUFACTURING STARBURST APPEARANCES: : ‘17, ‘18, ‘19, ‘20, ‘21, ‘22, ‘23, ‘24 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 126311institute.com MRL3 /9 4 /10 7 TRL /9 R APID LIQUID Printing is a relatively new emerging technology and it is a twist on existing 3D Printing tools and techniques. Unlike 3D Printing that creates products by printing them in layers Rapid Liquid Printing printers draw and create products in a supportive, gel filled 3D space. When the technology is more mature it could not only supplant 3D Printing for some use cases, for example, where 3D Printers rely on scaffolds to create delicate, or flexible, products, such as implanted healthcare devices, but also make today’s injection moulding and casting techniques obsolete. DEFINITION Rapid Liquid Printing is a production technique that uses a supportive, gel filled 3D space to create products and devices. EXAMPLE USE CASES While the future use cases for the technology are varied, ranging from being able to create everything from delicate and soft medical devices and implants, to soft robots, today’s use cases are more limited to making experimental objects and furniture. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade it is likely that the interest in the technology, particularly in the healthcare and robotics sectors, will continue to accelerate, but as it is coming off of a small, relatively nuclear base its rise will be incremental. While Rapid Liquid Printing technology is still in the ascending phase one day it is highly likely that it will be replaced, and complimented by, new Bio-Manufacturing and Molecular Assembler technologies. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION Rapid Liquid Printing is a moderately disruptive technology that it is still in the concept and early prototype stage. As a result, in the short to medium term, I suggest companies put it onto their radars and keep an eye on it. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 1 4 4 7 8 2 2 8 2008 2013 2016 2026 2033 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT RAPID LIQUID PRINTING STARBURST APPEARANCES: : ‘17, ‘18 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 127311institute.com MRL5 /9 8 /10 7 TRL /9 S PACE BASED MANUFACTURING is starting to take shape as advances in multiple categories, from robotics to reusable launch systems, help democratise and lower the cost of accessing space by over a hundred fold, and make it increasingly possible to build small scale, fully autonomous factory platforms. First conceived of in the 1960’s there are now a small number of private organisations that are opening up this new frontier and making it a reality. DEFINITION Space manufacturingis theproductionof manufactured goods in an environment outside a planetary atmosphere. EXAMPLE USE CASES While almost everything could be, and perhaps one day will be, made in space, whether it is for on Earth of off Earth colonies in the here and now companies are exploring manufacturing new drugs and new materials in zero gravity environments. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade there will be a marked increase, from a low base, of companies offering space based manufacturing capabilities, but for now the products they will manufacture on these platforms will be for specific niche requirements and expensive. While Space Based Manufacturing is still in the ascending phase it is highly unlikely to be superseded, simply complimented by new Advanced Manufacturing technologies, and improved automated and robotic fabrication techniques. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION While certain aspects of space based manufacturing are revolutionary, in terms of the novel products that can be manufactured in this way, it is a long way from becoming a main stream technology. As a result, in the short and medium term, I suggest companies put it onto their radars and keep an eye on developments in the space. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 2 1 3 3 5 2 1 7 1972 1985 1994 2023 2057 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT STARBURST APPEARANCES: : ‘19, ‘20, ‘21, ‘22, ‘23, ‘24 SPACE BASED MANUFACTURING EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 128311institute.com MRL2 /9 7 /10 4 TRL /9 X OLOGRAPHIC 3D PRINTING, which is in the early Prototype Stage, is the field of research concerned with trying to use 3D volumetric printing technologies and techniques to create simple machines with moving parts today, and increasingly complex and sophisticated machines tomorrow - of various scales - that can be printed in one session without the need for any form of post assembly. Recently there have been a number of breakthroughs in the field, most of which are thanks to the development of new gelatinous and liquid printing materials, which have allowed researchers to 3D print basic functional machines, complete with working moving mechanical-like components down to a scale of just 25 microns wide, that have a variety of applications. DEFINITION Xolographic 3D Printing is the use of light beams of different wavelengths to induce local polymerisation inside a confined monomer volume. EXAMPLE USE CASES An off shoot of 3D Volumetric Printing this technology is still nascent, but nonetheless it has a lot of promise. In time it will be used to create all manner of complex Micro-Machines and Nano-Machines, as well as different robotics systems and individual modular components, of all manner of scales. As a result you can think of it as a way to 3D print working machines and products with integrated and interdependent parts - especially mechanical parts - that can be manufactured in one session without the need for any post assembly. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade interest in the field will continue to accelerate, and interest and investment will continue to grow at an accelerating rate, albeit from a very low base, primarily led by organisations in the Manufacturing sector. In time it is likely that we will see Xolographic 3D Printing become one of the primary ways to create products with intricate working components, however it is likely that they will be smaller products for the foreseeable future which can leverage the technologies unique abilities. While Xolographic 3D Printing is in the early Prototype Stage, over the long term it will be enhanced by advances in 3D Volumetric Printing, Artificial Intelligence, and Materials, but at this point in time it is not clear what it will be replaced by. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION Xolographic 3D Printing is a technology with high disruptive potential but it is still in the early prototype stage. As a result, in the short and medium term, I suggest companies put it onto their radars and keep an eye on it. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 3 4 3 6 8 2 2 7 1981 1999 2021 2037 2055 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT XOLOGRAPHIC 3D PRINTING STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘22 129311institute.com EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. MRLNext >