The document discusses the implications of 21st-century innovations on societal and economic structures, emphasizing the importance of digitization and maintaining a focus on sustainable technology to support growing populations. It references historical material advancements and suggests a future-oriented approach that transcends simple improvements in technology. Ultimately, it calls for responsible use of existing tools to address global challenges.

1. 21st Century Innovation

2. Don’t Do It!

3. Making Things Happen

4. Overcoming Inertia

7. What Happens
When We Digitize
Everything?

9. The End of Innovation?

10. iPhone 9 SRi
iPad 23 GXS

12. 3 Opportunities
1 Challenge

13. Big Data

15. Control Over Materials

16. Materials Have Shaped Our
Culture & Economy
10,000 BC
Stone
& Wood
Nanotechnology
Adapted from Herrmann, W. Chem. Eng. Technol. 21(7), 549 (1998)
Synthetic Biology
0
Cement Steel
1800
Iron
1000 BC 1900’s
Polymers
2000 2010
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18. Harnessing Nature

20. 1.3Gb

22. “The 6.4*10 18 instructions per second that human kind
can carry out on its general-purpose computers in 2007
are in the same ballpark area as the maximum number of
nerve impulses executed by one human brain per second
“The World’s Technological Capacity to Store, Communicate, and Compute Information.” Martin Hilbert and Priscila
López. Science, 692-693, Feb. 11, 2011

23. Materials
+ Life Sciences
+ IT
???????

24. 24

25. Longest Published DNA Sequence
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Source: Rob Carlson synthesis.cc

29. Is It Just Smaller Faster
Better Stuff?

31. Sustained & responsible technology innovation is the only way
that the world has supported six billion people and will
continue to sustain 9 billion people by 2050.
‣ WEF Global Agenda Council on Emerging Technologies
Addressing the Challenge

32. Is It Possible?

34. Finally
There is no shortage of technology
Look beyond ‘apps’
We have the tools, lets use them wisely
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