Disruption in technology
What does technological disruption mean?
Disruption, a word that is now in fashion, occurs when technology changes the rules of the market, the lives of people or society as a whole. Two examples of "disruptive" products were the printing press, which allowed the unrestricted circulation of information, where ideas transcended borders, or the iPhone, a mini-computer that has sneaked into the pockets of hundreds of millions of people.
What will the technology of the future look like? Will iPhone become the universal Big Ben of the 21st century? Will this smartphone be capable of changing our lives, our culture and how we think? Another clear example is Netflix: it has freed us from the traditional TV networks and their rigid schedules, so we can enjoy a movie or series at any time.
Towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The World Economic Forum has shown its commitment to analyse and anticipate what the future will be like and is paying special attention to the Fourth Industrial Revolution: a new production model will change the world in a way we can only see vaguely right now. Klaus Schwab, Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, stated that "it will not only change what we do, but who we are".
For example, driverless cars will change the mobility model in cities and cars will become a service and not property. 3D printing will be moved from large-scale production in factories to homes and people will start to build their own products. In the next few decades, robots will be probably responsible for destroying millions of jobs, while the Internet of Things is already turning cities into smart cities.