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Tech predictions: 3D printed organs, robots and drone delivered pizza

London Tech Week!

Today marks the beginning of London Technology Week! Robots outnumbering humans, 3D printed organs and drones delivering pizza are just some of the things predicted according to a survey conducted to mark the occasion.

The survey was spearheaded by London & Partners, the Mayor of London’s promotional company, and was inspired by a series of predictions put forward by Imperial College London’s Tech Foresight research team. It reveals the technologies consumers think will disrupt traditional industries and drive forward the growth of London’s tech sector.

The findings highlight healthcare as a key industry set for change with Britons predicting that they will no longer visit the doctor when they get sick but will instead consult their GP from home using virtual reality technology. A large number of people also believe that 3D printers will be used to produce human organs, potentially removing the need for human donation, while just under half of those surveyed think the world’s first cloned human will have been born by 2036.

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “London Technology Week shines a light on this hugely important sector of the economy and demonstrates how our city is open to trade, ideas and people from across the globe. Tech-savvy Londoners welcome new digital advances that are going to revolutionise the way that we live and it is crucial that we harness those ideas to help the capital work even better as a city. As someone who has helped to run a successful business, I look forward to supporting the tech sector so it goes from strength to strength over the coming years.”

The study, which asked 2000 people a series of questions relating to how they thought technology would change their lives in the future also showed that those surveyed thought fashion would be a key industry for change. Over half of Britons predicted that we will regularly wear clothing connected to the internet within the next twenty years.

Professor David Gann, Vice President Innovation at Imperial College London said: “London’s technologists, scientists, medics and entrepreneurs are creating the future. No city in the world enjoys London’s quotient of talent, technology culture and capital. It is a potent combination.

London is an environment where ideas flourish, design and innovation is embraced and new technologies are transforming our lives for the better. In London, we don’t stand still. Through our Tech Foresight team, Imperial Business Partners is taking some of the world’s finest minds from business and academia to predict how whole industries will transform within two decades. By considering breakthrough discoveries taking place in labs today, they help businesses look ahead to tech-driven trends and markets that will shape our future.”

London Technology Week is a celebration of the entrepreneurs, innovators and companies making the city’s thriving tech hub one of the best in the world. A recent report from EY ranked London as second only to Silicon Valley as the most likely place to produce the world’s next tech giant.

There are over 300 events taking place across London this week, including a few on 3D printing. To see the full schedule, go to londontechnologyweek.co.uk.

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