The Future Council of Bavarian Business has published a study titled 'TechCheck 2019. The Human Factor in Success.' It examines the ten most important future fields, including recommendations for action.
The report "TechCheck 2019. The Human Factor in Success"—prepared by Prognos and commissioned by the Association of Bavarian Business (vbw)—analyzes the economic and technological development of the ten most important future fields in Bavaria. To ensure that the state remains a leading innovation location in the future, the Future Council of Bavarian Business has been formulating since 2014 what needs to be done, both strategically and concretely, by actors from politics, science, and business.
TechCheck 2019 puts ten future fields to the test
Considered were different sectors such as health, mobility, industrial production, food technologyThe results are mixed. According to the study, expectations for Bavaria in the future fields of information and communication technologies (ICT) and mobility have been confirmed. Bavaria ranks 13th in ICT world-class patents, making it a global leader. However, some areas have not developed as quickly as expected. These include, for example, special service robots, 3D printing, augmented reality in medicine, and various applications in nanotechnology and biotechnology.
Alfred Gaffal, vbw Honorary President and Chairman of the Future Council, comments on the results as follows:
"The starting position in future fields remains good. But: We're still missing too many opportunities. There's still a lot to do!"
People are the focus
The 'TechCheck 2019' study identifies people as the key factor for the success of innovations. Ultimately, new technologies can only become established if, following a rapid market launch, they are also accepted and disseminated within companies or society. Gaffal explained:
“The central recommendation of the Council for the Future is that all technological developments must focus on people and their individual needs.”
This refers not only to ease of use, but also to the cultural shift towards greater enthusiasm for or acceptance of new technologies and applications, according to Gaffal. The importance of the 'human perspective' is reflected, according to study also reflected in the rapidly growing field of human-machine interaction technologies.
Wolfgang Herrmann, President of the Technical University of Munich and also Chairman of the Future Council of the Bavarian Economy, adds:
"We have finally arrived in the age of 'Big Data,' which neither companies nor we can escape in our everyday lives."
“Human-Centered Engineering is a key challenge”
But for Hermann, too, we must once again focus more on the needs of society. Herrmann explains:
"'Human-Centered Engineering' has become the new, central challenge. Only by embracing this can we lead the globally recognized and traditional brand of 'German Engineering' into the future."
The comprehensive Analyses The individual areas are presented in an informative and comprehensible manner. The concrete Recommendations for action of the free 'TechCheck 2019' are well prepared, so it's definitely worth taking a look.
