Volatile markets could trip up buzzy new technologies in 2023, ABI says

Global market volatility may pull the rug out from under some highly heralded technology trends that have been trumpeted for 2023, including the industrial metaverse, 5G wearables, printed electronics, and satellite-to-cell services, according to a report from the analyst firm ABI Research.

Those four innovations headed a list of popular predictions that will likely turn sour, New York-based ABI said in a whitepaper, “74 Technology Trends That Will—and Will Not—Shape 2023.” The paper cites 41 trends that will shape the technology market and 33 others that will probably not, despite attracting vast amounts of speculation and commentary.

“War, inflation, political upheaval, energy shortages, and the ongoing fallout from a global pandemic are still creating a persistent sense of uncertainty,” Stuart Carlaw, ABI’s chief research officer, said in a release. “Labor shortages, supply chain issues, falling consumer sentiment, and rising input costs are squeezing many markets. However, the common aspect between all of these is that technology can either be the anchor dragging down operations or the mainsail powering companies forward. The devil is in the detail of the how, who, what, and when of technology investment and implementation.” 

Despite those market pressures, ABI also named dozens of technology innovations that will likely bear fruit in the new year, including foldable electronic devices, artificial intelligence (AI) in smartphones, growth in wearables, private cellular networks at outdoor venues, and enterprise virtual reality (VR).