14 Technologies That Could Change Your Life and Your Portfolio – Value The Markets

In September, Bank of America released a 152-page research report identifying 14 technology 'moonshots'. These are 14 "radical technologies that could change our lives and accelerate the impact of global megatrends."

This research report could be a good starting point for investors who like to jump on the next big thing. It pinpoints 14 potential growth areas with a $330 billion market size today that could grow to $6.4 trillion by the 2030s.

These 14 technologies are split into four categories: Computational Tech, Human Tech, Consumer Tech & Green Tech.

The Computational Technology category includes 6G telecom networks, Brain Computer Interfaces and Emotional AI.

While 5G is still being rolled out in the Western world, it's believed it will need to be replaced by the next generation 6G within ten years.

Industry is rapidly investing in next-generation connectivity, mainly 5G. Telecoms stalwart Nokia doesn't expect 6G to start hitting the market until 2030. In the meantime, there are two to three years until 5G peaks.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution will be possible with the combination of 5G and cloud and artificial intelligence. This will then be enhanced and further stabilized with 6G.

Earlier this year, this Chinese government outlined plans to accelerate the development of 6G up to 2025 through the IMT-2030 (6G) Promotion Group.

Brain computer interfaces sound particularly futuristic, but this technology is already promising lifestyle improvements for individuals who have paralysis, along with significant innovation in gaming. Down the line, it will help humans become powered up to keep pace with advancements in AI.

Furthering this sci-fi revolution, Emotional AI, otherwise known as 'Affective Computing' or 'Cognitive Computing', is designed to capture, analyze and respond to human emotions and simulate human thoughts.

Nokia surprised investors by beating expectations in its Q3 earnings. It is enjoying sales growth driven by companies upgrading to 5G, cloud investment and improved network services.

Unfortunately, Nokia's recent status as a 'meme stock' could hurt its chances of making considerable gains going forward. It's also facing supply chain issues and increased costs.

In the 6G race, Samsung is likely to be further ahead. Indeed, it outlined its 6G vision last year. Meanwhile, Apple, Google, Cisco, AT&T, Bell Canada, Ericsson, Facebook, Microsoft, Nokia, Qualcomm Technologies Inc., T-Mobile, Verizon, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel, LG Electronics, VMware, and others have joined a consortium called the 'Next G Alliance'.

The Human Technology category includes synthetic biology, immortality and bionic humans.

According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, Synthetic Biology (synbio) is:

a field of science that involves redesigning organisms for useful purposes by engineering them to have new abilities.

Researchers are harnessing synbio to solve medicine, manufacturing, and agricultural problems by drawing on the vast diversity of nature.

People have been searching for a cure for aging or the elixir of life since time immemorial. Now, immortality may not be entirely out of reach. Genomes could hold the key.

And along with extending life comes the option to enhance our bodies with superhuman abilities. Bionic humans could be created with implants or exoskeletons. Biohacking is already making breakthroughs in enhancing the human body.

Amyris, Inc. is a synthetic biotechnology and renewable chemical company. Its share price has suffered in recent months, but analysis consensus is that this stock is undervalued. Amyris is producing high-value ingredients for the health and beauty industry.

Berkeley Lights (NASDAQ: BLI) is a leading digital cell biology company. Its beacon system gives customers in synthetic biology a competitive advantage. According to Amyris:

The Beacon platform offers a truly advanced solution to synthetic biology by making it possible to test engineered microbial strains in a fraction of the time and at unprecedented scales.

Absci Corporation (Nasdaq: ABSI) is another drug company harnessing deep learning AI and synthetic biology to expand the therapeutic potential of proteins.

Meanwhile, Ekso Bionics Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: EKSO) develops and manufactures powered exoskeleton bionic devices that can be strapped on as wearable robots.

The Consumer Technology category includes eVTOL, Wireless Electricity, Holograms, and the metaverse.

eVTOL is the closest we've come to flying cars. It stands for Electrical Vertical Take-off and Landing Vehicles. These are being developed as an alternative mode of transportation to ease the burden on aging infrastructure and congested roads.

The Internet of Things (IoT) and expanding electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure requires wireless electricity to ensure seamless rollout and stable electricity supplies in remote settings.

Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg envisions holograms as a staple of the metaverse. While not actually a Facebook invention, Zuckerberg is pioneering the advancement of the metaverse. And is on a fast-track mission to make virtual reality our present reality.

In a not-so-distant future, the metaverse will allow humans to be present in a virtual world.

Projected to be a future iteration of the internet, aka Web 3.0, simulated environments and holographic projections should allow the physical and virtual worlds to converge.

With its recent name change to Meta, it seems Facebook is going all-in on making the metaverse a reality. For that reason, if you want to invest in these upcoming technologies, this would seem as good a place as any to start.

Facebook has seen its share price rise 168% in the past five years, so it's got plenty of fans. Of course, many don't understand its vision, and therefore FB stock could be in for a rocky time ahead.

Nevertheless, plenty of investors love the potential and see its extensive reach, (booming marketplaces, WhatsApp, community video, Instagram, expansion into VR, AR, AI, e-commerce, and physical tech products) amounting to a perfect collection of entities to bring it success in this brand-new world.

Facebook will soon change its stock ticker from FB to MVRS.

The Green Technology category includes next-generation batteries, OceanTech, green mining, and carbon capture and storage solutions.

With EV expansion growing exponentially, sustainable alternatives to lithium batteries are in vogue. Solid-state, vanadium flow, and sodium ion offer potential.

OceanTech includes harnessing the power of the waves and tides to create energy, land-based aquaculture, and precision fishing using AI.

Green Mining suggestions are questionably green but include deep-sea mining, agromining, mining of wastewater and even asteroid mining.

Meanwhile, carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies are gaining traction as many oil majors transition into renewables. With legacy pipelines and rigs lying dormant, they have the facilities, talent, and resources to make strides in CCS development to remove and store carbon emissions permanently.

While pivoting from Oil and Gas to renewables, Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) is developing large-scale commercial CCS projects in Australia, Norway, and Canada.

Many Oil and Gas companies are transitioning in this way. Aker Carbon Capture, an offshoot of Aker Solutions, is advancing its CCS projects around the world. While Aker Biomarine (FRA: 1PG) is investing in precision fishing using AI.

Meanwhile, AKVA Group (FRA: 3QI) is investing in the digitalization of aquaculture. And Alfa Laval (STO: ALFA) is building an aquaculture product portfolio.

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14 Technologies That Could Change Your Life and Your Portfolio - Value The Markets