LNME
TECHNOLOGY
Mohammad Shihab, Managing Director, Maersk Saudi Arabia
NEW TRENDS TO DRIVE THE TECH SECTOR IN 2021 Damo Academy, Alibaba Group’s research initiative, shares its forecast of the top 10 principal trends that will shape the tech industry for the year
T
echnology is constantly evolving offering better solutions with the passing of time. As we progress into the new year, fresh ideas hit the market from the application of third-generation semiconductor materials, AIdriven R&D of medicines and vaccines, to automatic optimisation of data management system and data intelligencepowered agriculture. Technology breakthroughs are expected to accelerate and
make impacts across all sectors in the economy and the society at large. Third-gen semiconductor materials These products represented by gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC), boast high temperature resistance, high breakdown voltage, high frequency, high power, and high radiation resistance. In recent years, breakthroughs in material growth and device fabrication have helped reduce
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the costs of third-generation semiconductor materials. In the Middle East, countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia have already started deploying 5G networks. Quantum error correction and quantum computing In 2020, investors worldwide flocked to the quantum computing field, related technologies and ecosystems thrived, and numerous quantum computing platforms rose to prominence. In 2021, this trend will
garner further attention from all corners of society. Quantum computing must deliver enough value to make it worthwhile. The mission in the ‘postquantum-supremacy’ era must be aligned across the industry: to tackle critical scientific and engineering problems through collaborative innovation and to pave the way for quantum error correction and practical utility, two milestones in quantum computing. Carbon materials to boost growth of flex circuits Flexible electronics deliver stable performance even after mechanical deformations such as bending, folding, and stretching. They are favoured in wearable devices, electronic skins, and flexible screens. In the past, flexible materials were simply not flexible enough or could not compete with rigid WWW.CBNME.COM
