Jan 03, 2022

6 Emerging Technologies To Watch In 2022

We’ve all experienced technology taking us into a new age of communication. We’ve seen science save millions of lives. And the past two years have reminded us of the power of human innovation and resilience. The urgency behind our innovations has only heightened with climate change and the ongoing battle against coronavirus.

At One Workplace we are committed to creating the future together and that means identifying the right tools, strategies and solutions for people, organizations and the environment. We're always on the watch for the next big thing. Here are six technology trends we believe may impact us at work, at home and in our environments in the coming year.

Hybrid Cooling and Heating Systems

Energy consumption and user comfort are always top of the mind in the built environment; and heating buildings accounts for a quarter of all global energy consumed. Hybrid cooling and heating systems have emerged as a new alternative to conventional systems, engineered to distribute AC throughout a space without using coal, gas or oil. In 2022 several companies will be offering up new, energy efficient and cost-effective heat pumps.

Personalized Nutrition

Employee wellbeing has emerged as one of the key priorities of organizations across the board. And providing gym memberships doesn’t cut it anymore. Thankfully it’s become easier to understand the activities, health, and unique lifestyles of your people through mobile care apps and incentive programs that personalize the experience. Investing in platforms that make it easier for your people to understand their health and make healthier choices and provides you with data. We predict that companies will invest more in mobile care programs as employee wellbeing maintains its importance in 2022.

Vertical Farming

We believe in the benefits of bringing the outdoors inside and we’ve explored the known benefits from connecting with nature. A new type of agriculture called vertical farming creates an opportunity for growth even in densely urban areas with limited space. Vertical farms grow plants on stacked trays with LED lighting in tightly controlled environments and plants are misted which consumes 95% less water. Commercial and repurposed buildings can host vertical farms and produce their own leafy greens and goods delivered direct to the consumer.

We love new ways to connect with the outdoors and One Workplace’s San Francisco office is currently home to a colony of bees installed by Alveole, an urban beekeeping company dedicated to reconnecting urban dwellers to nature and protecting our crucial pollinators. Maybe 2022 will bring new vertical farms for our rooftops?

Wearable Health Trackers

Over the past few years wearable health trackers have become as important as cellphones. Devices now measure the steps you take, running and swim speeds and heart rates. Versions expected in 2022 may include sensors able to measure blood pressure and body temperature. Including such amenities in employee wellness programs promotes wellbeing and healthy choices. At One Workplace we’ve launched incentive programs and challenges that measure activity and encourage exercise. With new developments in tracker capabilities, we expect to see organizations across the country adopting them to encourage employee wellbeing.

Synthetic Meat and Fish

You might cringe at the thought, but with finite resources we’re being pushed to get more creative with our food sources. Over 70 companies around the globe are currently investing in “cultivating” new types of artificial meat and fish. Ones that don’t require acres of land and reduce CO2 emissions. Synthetic and plant based meat/fish companies expect approval in 2022 for broader commercial sales and you’re likely to start seeing more “creative food” options in restaurants and markets across the country.

Autonomous Mobility

The West Coast has been a major incubator for many of the emerging autonomous mobility options, and we expect to see the commercialization of autonomous vehicles in 2022. Once these cars, trucks and drones hit the market, adoption will likely grow most rapidly in urban areas, but we think the impact they’ll have on place will take a bit longer to become apparent. If you’d like to hear more about this rapidly evolving movement, listen in to our Wild Ride with a Futurist podcast.

We’re convinced 2022 will bring technological advances to broader audiences and some of them may surprise even the most devoted science fiction reader. We’ll keep listening for and sharing the latest updates we get. Sign up for our mailing list to make sure you don’t miss anything.