Innovation

Biotechnology is not a new discipline, but it is advancing by leaps and bounds and it has more and more applications in our day-to-day lives: from pharmaceutical development to food production and the treatment of polluting waste. We explore this exciting field below and try to determine how far it might go in the future.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus and the disease it causes, COVID-19, was one of the greatest threats to humanity in the 21st century. Although the pandemic is now behind us, biosecurity remains essential to prevent health and environmental risks stemming from exposure to disease-causing biological agents.

Towns and villages are no strangers to the digital revolution that is taking place in the world, or at least they should not be because their survival depends on it. Innovative solutions, from Big Data to the Internet of Things (IoT), have reached rural areas to help develop and improve their social, economic and environmental conditions.

Artificial intelligence has long since abandoned the realm of science fiction and is quietly sneaking into our lives. Although still at a very early stage, is laying the foundation to lead a revolution comparable to that generated by the Internet. Its applications in multiple sectors — such as health, finance, transport and education, among others — have prompted the European Union to develop its own Robotics Laws.

David Almroth, Umar Chughtai and Sakina Turabali are an example of how to go into business sustainably and successfully. These three youngsters from Sweden, Pakistan and Sri Lanka dreamed that electrical installations could be inspected more efficiently and above all in a less harmful way to the environment. And, to do this, they founded Skyqraft, the startup that won the Startup Challenge launched by Iberdrola group, Resilience to Natural Disasters.

According to Oxford Economics data, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) can impact industries that account for 62 % of GDP in the G20 countries. Some of these include manufacturing, energy and food. The application of IIoT in industry promises to become the biggest driver of productivity and innovation in the next decade.