How Next-Gen Tech Solutions are Disrupting Different Industries Today

The future of Britain is linked to innovation. Rapid technological advancements by leading tech firms such as Dassault Systèmes Industries have ushered in innovative solutions across diverse industries.

In a tight race against global tech superpowers the United States and China, the UK has committed to invest substantial financial resources in developing the country as a global innovation hub and talent centre by 2035 through the UK Innovation Strategy. This program promises to increase annual public research and development investments to £22 billion.

By identifying technologies capable of challenging and reshaping established norms, enterprises can harness their transformative potential, ushering in significant shifts rather than mere incremental improvements.

These types of technology called 'disruptive innovation' coined by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen in 1995, highlight technology's ability to bring about sudden and profound changes, fundamentally reshaping industries, businesses, and consumer behaviour.

However, not all technological advancements possess the potential for transformative societal impact. Many innovations lack the disruptive power to deliver credible solutions in sectors like healthcare, transportation, retail, manufacturing, and agriculture.

True disruptive technologies, however, bring in substantial changes in business operations, altering how products and services are delivered and influencing consumer engagement. These innovations redefine established norms, reshape lifestyles, and restructure value chains.

Disruptive technologies

These innovations are bound to bring huge transformations in industries and gain substantial market acceptance in the near future.

Aerospace

Vertical Aerospace, a UK aviation startup and one of the pioneers of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, is currently developing the world's first certified winged eVTOL with the VA-X4. These carbon-emission-free, efficient machines are touted to be the future of accessible travel when it goes into mass production.

Vertical Aerospace used Dassault Systèmes Industries' 3DEXPERIENCE platform on cloud to define and manage all aspects of its product development, facilitate innovation and shape the future of aviation. Soon, we'll be landing on local heliports and airports in these aircraft that are quieter than helicopters but more cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

Engineering and architecture

The construction industry is aligning with sustainability measures as governments now enforce builders to comply with stringent climate regulations to reduce their carbon footprint. However, inefficiencies across the construction value chain persist, impacting costs and energy consumption.

To address this, digitalisation and eco-efficient practices are at the forefront through tools that support designers in ensuring sustainable practices throughout the construction lifecycle, ensuring compliance, meeting budget constraints, and shaping a more environmentally conscious future.

This includes 3D printed houses, virtual reality and augmented reality to prevent construction errors, and monitoring systems to reduce safety risks.

Business and Finance

Responding to the need for improved governance, efficiency, and accountability, financial service firms are now focused on implementing lifecycle management software solutions. Through this, organisations can streamline their operations, reduce operational costs, automate audit trails, and increase efficiency and quality while ensuring regulatory compliance.

Support by the UK government is also gaining ground in this area. In August 2023, the UK launched a FinTech investment fund worth £1 billion to support companies in their growth stages. The plan is to match the United States in delivering fintech innovation and attracting investors to enter the market.

Public services

More digital twins in the infrastructure and cities sector are being made. These data-driven virtual representations of physical objects or systems support urban planners and designers during stages in idea development, testing, and continuous improvement without physical prototypes.

These aid organisations in improving the quality of life for citizens while promoting sustainability. For instance, engineering and architecture firm Arup launched the Smart Green Resilient strategy in 2019 to promote a low-carbon economy and enhance business productivity in highly urbanised Hong Kong.

Through an advanced platform that enabled it to leverage virtual twin technology, the group successfully created urban planning, infrastructure, environment conservation, and workflow optimization that benefited the country's public and private sectors.

Consumer goods

Many brands seeking to build fierce consumer loyalty and differentiation are turning to hyper-personalization that includes product customisation, personalised shopping experiences, tailored recommendations, customer journey mapping, and behavioural data analysis across all interactions and channels.

Best-in-class brands that were successful in its implementation have experienced increased loyalty and customer spending through front-end shopping experiences and back-end product creation.

Tech

E-waste has been a consistent problem in many enterprises. Many of these are now turning to high-tech platforms that help create detailed virtual twins of their products and operations, helping achieve three key goals: regulatory compliance, zero-waste design and manufacturing, and efficient product recovery.

By simulating product lifecycles and making data-driven decisions, manufacturers can reduce waste, improve recyclability, and contribute to a more sustainable high-tech industry while adhering to evolving regulations and consumer demands.

Industrial equipment

Robot at Work, an Italian production line solutions specialist, has leveraged the virtual twin technology, DELMIA, to optimise their production lines virtually. By simulating and testing various scenarios, Robot at Work helps customers reduce resource requirements while maintaining maximum output.

This allows the company to fully define robotic cells before physical construction, leading to faster project delivery, improved efficiency, and better solutions for complex production requirements.

On the other hand, the adoption of automation technologies in various industries continues to grow. This includes autonomous vehicles, drones, 3D printing, smart sensors, and wearables to replace manual and human-controlled processes that address safety and productivity concerns.

Infrastructure and energy

Another application of virtual twin technology is found in wind power, both onshore and offshore. To meet ambitious renewable energy goals, tech platforms now offer detailed insights into project costs, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder collaboration for every project lifecycle.

Offshore wind energy, with its greater efficiency compared to onshore wind, relies on advanced digitalisation tools to model turbine dynamics, optimise energy production, and automate maintenance.

Healthcare and life sciences

Machine learning and advanced tech platforms such as 3DEXPERIENCE have proven instrumental in addressing the challenges of rare medical issues such as Castleman disease. By analysing baseline proteomic data, the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network (CDCN) and Medidata identified six previously unknown patient clusters within idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD).

This breakthrough allows for a more targeted approach to treatment, as one patient subset exhibited a significantly higher response rate to the approved therapy.

Marine and offshore

In 20 to 30 years, the concept of autonomous ships will be a reality. Rolls-Royce is currently developing an eco-friendly and cost-efficient ship that can be monitored from the shore control station and controlled in terms of its parameters. Situational awareness (360-degree cameras and radar) and automatic navigation system are essential components in this project. This is made possible through advanced design and simulation through virtual reality in 3D.

Transportation

From autonomous electric vehicles to advanced traffic management systems, the transport industry is shifting towards alternative energy technologies and autonomous controls for better efficiency and performance. Integrated smart city initiatives are also incorporating technology to improve transportation through better traffic management, enhanced public transportation, and data-driven decision-making.

Future Forward Thinking

Emerging technologies have the potential to reshape our future. From AI and driverless transport, these disruptions present opportunities for progress.

By fostering innovation, nurturing talent, and forging partnerships, we are more than ready to welcome a more sustainable future.