< Previous5 /9 2 /10 9 TRL /9 M BACKSCATTER ENERGY SYSTEMS, which are in the Concept Stage and early Productisation Stage, is the field of research concerned with capturing the ambient Electro-Magnetic Radiation in the air and the environment, such as radio waves, and converting it into electrical electricity that can be used to create battery-less devices that don’t have to rely on drawing their power from batteries or plug sockets. Recently there have been a number of breakthroughs in the field with researchers being able to capture and convert more energy in this way to power larger and larger devices, from sensors to smartphones. DEFINITION Backscatter Energy Systems use radio frequencies present within an environment to power devices. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today we are using Backscatter Energy Systems to create the first battery free smartphones, and battery free Passive WiFi devices capable of generating WiFi signals, and the first battery free Bluetooth and Internet of Things sensors. In the future the primary use case of the technology will continue to be to create more battery-less devices. 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 low base, primarily led by organisations in the Consumer Electronics, Manufacturing and Technology sector, backed up by government funding and university grants. While Backscatter Energy Systems are in the Concept Stage and early Productisation Stage, over the long term it will be enhanced by advances in Artificial Photosynthesis, Bio- Batteries, Bio-Manufacturing, Nano-Photonic Materials, and Photovoltaics, but over the long term it will be replaced by Wireless Energy. 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 4 7 2 2 8 1935 1941 1944 2016 2034 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT BACKSCATTER ENERGY SYSTEMS STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘18, ‘19, ‘20, ‘21, ‘22 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 260311institute.com MRL3 /9 5 /10 7 TRL /9 B IO-BATTERIES, which are in the Concept Stage and early Productisation Stage, is the field of research concerned with developing batteries that are inspired by nature and living organisms, such as bacteria and Electric Eels, who can generate and discharge their own electricity on demand. Not only are these energy sources green, but, with the right engineering they can also be used to reign in climate change, by converting Carbon Dioxide into energy, and provide humanity with an almost limitless, and infinite sources of energy. While research in the space is still currently quite slow, especially when compared to the rate of development of other energy technologies, with a recent spate of breakthroughs it shows great promise. DEFINITION Bio-Batteries are energy storage devices that are powered by organic components and compounds. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today we are using Bio-Batteries to create battery-less devices in the form of paper, sensors and wearables. In the future the primary use case for the technology could be unlimited as we find new ways to integrate it into everything from our clothing and Smart Contact Lenses, to our Implanted Medical Devices and the structures of our Electric Vehicles. 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 low base, primarily led by organisations in the Consumer Electronics and Technology sectors, and university grants. While Bio-Batteries are in the Concept Stage and early Productisation Stage, over the long term they will be enhanced by advances in 3D Bio-Printing, Backscatter Energy Systems, Bio-Manufacturing, CRISPR Gene Editing, Nano- Photonic Materials, Photovoltaics, Semi-Synthetic Cells, Structural Batteries, and Synthetic Cells, but at this point in time it looks unlikely that they will be replaced. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, and re-visit it every few years until progress in the space accelerates. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 5 4 7 4 7 3 3 8 1981 1987 1991 2027 2040 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘19, ‘20, ‘ 21, ‘22, ‘23 BIO-BATTERIES EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 261311institute.com MRL9 /9 4 /10 9 TRL /9 B IOFUELS, which are in the Prototype Stage and Productisation Stage, is the field of research concerned with developing biologically inspired and sourced fuels that can augment and replace today’s fossil fuels. Since their emergence onto the global stage Biofuels have found it difficult to gain a foothold, in part because of people’s concerns about the impact that replacing crops grown for food with crops grown to produce fuel, would have on the global food production, but as the manufacturing processes used to produce the fuels have improved, and with breakthroughs in producing energy from non crop sources, such as Algae, Bacteria, and even Seaweed accelerate, over the past number of years they have seen a renaissance, particularly within certain sectors such as the airline industry. DEFINITION Biofuels are fuels that are produced as a result of harnessing contemporary biological processes. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today we are using Biofuels to power commercial airliners, cooking appliances, lubricants, and even clean up crude oil spills. In the future the primary use cases for the technology will ultimately lie in energy generation and transportation, but as both those sectors undergo their own transformations, it is likely that ultimately Biofuels future will lie elsewhere. 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, primarily led by organisations in the Defence, Biotech, Energy and Transportation sector, with support from government funding and university grants. In time we will see a dramatic diversification occur in the field, as researchers move away from crops as a primary fuel source to other biological alternatives, such as genetically engineered Algae and Bacteria. While Biofuels are in the Prototype Stage and Productisation Stage, over the long term they will be enhanced by advances in Artificial Intelligence, Creative Machines, and CRISPR Gene Editing, but over the long term it is unlikely that they will be replaced. 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, with a view to implementing it, and forecast out the potential implications of the technology. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 7 6 7 5 7 6 5 8 1916 1921 1926 1928 2034 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT BIOFUELS STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘17, ‘18, ‘19, ‘20, ‘21, ‘22, ‘23, ‘24 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 262311institute.com MRL1 /9 4 /10 2 TRL /9 C OLD FUSION, which is still in the Concept Stage, is the field of research concerned with trying to mimic the same fusion processes in the Sun, which run at temperatures of millions of degrees Celsius, at or near room temperature. While Cold Fusion is generally thought to be unachievable by most mainstream experts recently researchers have been using Artificial Intelligence to test a variety of different theories with one, which uses 2D materials to start the reactions, looking as though it’s not just plausible but achievable. DEFINITION Cold Fusion is a type of nuclear reaction that would occur at, or near, room temperature. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today there are no example of Cold Fusion. In the future though it is hoped that the technology will be able to generate limitless amounts of green, zero emission energy at scale. 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, primarily led by organisations in the Energy sector, with support from government funding. In time we will see the feasibility of the technology questioned and it will likely be decades before anyone has any finite answers, but that said Artificial Intelligence could be the game changer that experts in the field need to make it a reality. While Cold Fusion is in the Concept Stage, over the long term it will be enhanced by advances in Artificial Intelligence,Quantum Artificial Intelligence, Fusion, and Quantum Computing, and in the long term it is likely that it will be replaced by Renewable Energy and Space Based Solar Plants. 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 6 1 8 1 1 2 1949 1977 2050 >2075 >2075 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT STARBURST APPEARANCES: NONE COLD FUSION EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 263311institute.com MRL5 /9 3 /10 9 TRL /9 D EEP SEA ENERGY SYSTEMS, which is in the late Prototype Stage, is the field of research concerned with harnessing the power and momentum of the world’s deep sea currents to generate electricity. Recently there have been a few breakthroughs in the field including the successful trials of the world’s first Megawatt (Mw) deep sea generators which, when scaled up, it’s believed could help countries such as Japan generate in excess of 200Gw from the seas around their country. Furthermore, the fact that deep sea energy is a consistent and predictable form of electricity generation means that it’s a very attractive technology as countries everywhere look to wean themselves off of their fossil fuel addictions and secure their energy independence. DEFINITION Deep Sea Energy is the process of producing electrical energy from deep sea currents and movements. EXAMPLE USE CASES In terms of raw generating capacity deep sea energy generation has the potential to dwarf even the largest terrestrial nuclear power plants and hydroelectric energy installations. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade we will continue to see interest in this field accelerate, predominantly led by the energy and manufacturing sectors with government grants. Given the potential of this technology, which theoretically could be scaled up to generate electricity in the Terrawatt range, it could be the energy industry’s dark horse and become a viable competitor to today’s hydro, solar, and wind installations - provided, of course, that it can be economically competitive which, as we see generating costs for solar for example fall to historic lows, could be its major challenge. While Deep Sea Energy Systems are still in the late Prototype Stage, over the long term they could be enhanced by advances in Materials, Robotics, and UHVC systems, however with so many alternative multi Gigawatt energy systems emerging including Fusion, Geothermal, and Space Based Energy Systems, if the companies involved in helping make it mainstream aren’t careful they could find it being sidelined. 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 5 5 8 7 8 6 4 8 1972 1982 2021 2024 2044 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT DEEP SEA ENERGY SYSTEMS STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘23, ‘24 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 264311institute.com MRL1 /9 9 /10 2 TRL /9 D YSON SPHERES, which are in the Concept Stage, is the field of research concerned with developing a new generation of megastructures which, in this case could capture and harness the majority of a Star’s energy output. While the theory behind Dyson Spheres is sound it will optimistically be many centuries before human civilisation has the capability to build one. DEFINITION Dyson Spheres are hypothetical megastructures that completely encompass a star in order to capture and harness its power output. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today Dyson Spheres are purely theoretical but when humanity is able to build one we would move from being a planetary Stage I civilisation on the Kardashev scale to a Stellar Stage 2 civilisation. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade interest in the field will continue to accelerate but the technology will remain entirely theoretical. While Dyson Spheres are in the Concept Stage, over the long term they will be enhanced by advances in Advanced Manufacturing and Materials, but at this point in time it is not clear what they will be replaced by. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars and re-visit it every decade or two. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 1 1 1 1 7 1 1 2 1964 1981 >2075 >2075 >2075 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT DYSON SPHERES STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘20 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 265311institute.com MRL3 /9 2 /10 7 TRL /9 E DIBLE BATTERIES, which are in the Prototype Stage, is the field of research concerned with trying to make batteries that can be safely eaten and ingested by living beings, including people, and while this might sound odd there are several viable reasons why this is capability is of interest. Recent breakthroughs in this field include the development of a completely edible battery system, made from food based materials, that was safe to eat and had no side effects. DEFINITION Edible Batteries are batteries that can be safely ingested and eaten by people that don’t cause harm. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today there are a number of use cases for this technology that involve powering items outside of the human body that might get eaten, such as powering children’s toys where today over 2,600 children in the US alone are admitted to hospital having eaten traditional LiON batteries, through to edible batteries being embedded into foods to power food related IOT use cases. Additionally though this technology could also be used as a biodegradable environmentally friendly alternative to traditional batteries which all too often end up as E-Waste and landfill, and could also be used to power ingestible Smart Pills for medical applications. Also, with some minor modifications this technology could form the foundation of new kinds of electronics, including Transient Electronics which are highly prized by the military. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade we will continue to see interest and investment in Edible Batteries increase, albeit from a very low base, primarily led by university grants. While it is easy to focus on the edible part of this technology as a novelty let it not be lost on you that this is also a novel way to power items in a more environmentally friendly way, so in time we could see this technology split and give birth to some interesting new variants. While Edible Batteries are still in the Prototype Stage they could be enhanced by advances in Backscatter Energy Systems, Materials, Photovoltaics, 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, establish a point of view, and re- visit it every few years until progress in the space accelerates. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 3 5 3 7 7 2 2 7 1982 1996 2021 2031 2054 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT EDIBLE BATTERIES STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘24 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 266311institute.com MRL9 /9 3 /10 9 TRL /9 E LECTRONIC PLANTS, which are in the Prototype Stage, is the field of research concerned with trying to find new ways to turn plants into viable, local, electricity generation systems. An odd technology for sure this one has almost made it into the Codex for it’s sheer wierdness, but as we see the growth in Vertical Farming, for example, it’s just possible that electric plants could one day power their own robotic farms. Recently there have been a few breakthroughs in the fiel, by using the process of microbial physics, where energy is generated by bacteria and harvested by microbial fuel cells in roots of plants, much like a battery, researchers have been able to generate 0.1mW of power from individual plants which was then used to power lights and devices. DEFINITION Electronic Plants is the development of plants with energy generating capabilities. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today the first “Living Energy” plants are being used to power lighting in homes, but obviously the applications are broader - albeit dependent on the means of energy distribution and the amount of power produced. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade we will continue to see interest in this field accelerate, albeit from a very very low base, predominantly led by government grants. The ability to harness nature’s own biological energy processes to power our world is attractive, but harnessing natural energy in this way is much harder than it looks. As such until the technology can be developed to the point where it’s generating interesting amounts of electrical energy it’s likely to stay a very niche technology with possibly quite a short shelf life. While Electronic Plants are still in the Prototype Stage they could be enhanced by advances in CRISPR Gene Editing, Materials, Synthetic Biology, and other technologies, however over the long term it could be replaced by all manner of alternative energy technologies such as Wireless Energy. MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDATION In the short to medium term I suggest companies put the technology on their radars, and re-visit it every few years until progress in the space accelerates. 15 SECOND SUMMARY Accessibility Affordability Competition Demonstration Desirability Investment Regulation Viability 2 5 8 7 5 2 2 7 1990 2021 2023 2041 2065 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT ELECTRIC PLANTS STARBURST APPEARANCES: NONE 267311institute.com MRL EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech.8 /9 3 /10 9 TRL /9 E LECTROFUELS, which are in the Productisation Stage, is the field of research concerned with finding new ways to produce carbon based synthetic fuels such as e-Methanol that can be used to replace today’s traditionally extracted fossil fuels as an energy source. A close cousin of Solar Fuels, which directly harness sunlight to create carbon based synthetic fuels, electrofuels harness Carbon Dioxide or Carbon Monoxide along with electricity from a multitude of renewable sources, which can include any renewable energy source from wind and solar to green hydrogen, to create carbon neutral fuels. It’s also the use of renewable energy that has given rise to the term “Green Electrofuels.” Recently there have been a number of breakthroughs in the field including the development of new single step catalysts and new exotic photobiological bacteria which reduce the cost of producting electrofuels to commercially sensible levels. DEFINITION Electrofuels use a mix of catalysts, microbes, and electricity to convert Carbon Dioxide or Carbon Monoxide into synthetic fuel. EXAMPLE USE CASES Green electrofuels are especially attractive to sectors that are heavily reliant on traditional fossil fuels for their energy source that have to achieve net zero. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade we will continue to see interest in the field accelerate, predominandly led by the energy sector. As the cost of producing electrofuels falls, and as new regulations continue to pile on the pressure for sectors to decarbonise and achieve Net Zero, we can see several large organisations ramping up their production capacity to serve clients, for example, in the shipping industry. While Electrofuels are still in the Productisation Stage, over the long term they could be enhanced by advances in Biomanufacturing, CRISPR Gene Editing, Materials, and other technologies, however over the longer term it’s likely that they will be superceeded by more authentic renewable energy technologies. 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 5 5 9 7 7 4 3 8 1981 1986 2012 2022 2038 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT ELECTROFUELS STARBURST APPEARANCES: NONE EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 268311institute.com MRL9 /9 2 /10 9 TRL /9 F LOW BATTERIES, which are in the Productisation Stage, is the field of research concerned with developing easily scalable, low cost, long lifecycle battery systems. Touted by many as a better solution for Grid Scale Energy Storage than more common Lithium Ion (LiON) battery systems because they can last for over 30 years, and they’re safer and lower cost - even though they have lower energy densities - recently there have been a number of breakthroughs in the field including the development of Aqueous, Iron, and even Salt Water Flow Batteries which some experts believe might replace more common Bromine and Vanadium Flow Batteries. Furthermore, depending on their chemistry flow batteries also have another advantage over their LiON cousins - many of the chemicals they rely on are massively abundant unlike Cobalt and Lithium. DEFINITION Flow Batteries are rechargeable batteries where electrolyte flows through one or more electrochemical cells from one or more reservoirs to generate electricity. EXAMPLE USE CASES Today the most common use cases for Flow Batteries is as a Grid Scale Energy Storage energy storage medium for energy grids and industrial complexes as countries and organisations embrace renewables. FUTURE TRAJECTORY AND REPLACABILITY Over the next decade we will continue to see investment in this field accelerate, albeit from a low base, predominantly led by the energy sector and government grants. While Flow Batteries have distinct advantages over alternative battery systems their low energy densities make them impractical for many non-grid use cases which, unless this can be overcome soon, will limit their overall appeal. That said though with certain countries still keen on them it looks certain that they will play a role in the energy mix for a many decades to come. While Flow Batteries are in the Productisation Stage over the long term they could be enhanced by advances in 3D Printing, AI, Bio-Manufacturing and Manufacturing, Materials, Synthetic Chemistry, and other technologies, but over the long term it is likely they will be superceeded by alternative battery types as comparitive costs continue to fall. 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 7 7 9 8 8 6 4 8 1975 1981 1986 1990 2030 STATUS PRIMARY GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IMPACT FLOW BATTERIES STARBURST APPEARANCES: ‘23 EXPLORE MORE. Click or scan me to learn more about this emerging tech. 269311institute.com MRLNext >