At the beginning of the year, I outlined 10 technology trends and weak signals I felt would have a transformative impact on 2025 and beyond. These emerging innovations represent not just incremental improvements but potential paradigm shifts that could fundamentally alter industries, economies, and societies.
These trends fall into three categories for me:
- Game Changers are set to have a significant impact on industries, societies, and markets in 2025 and beyond. Will transform how we work, learn, and live.
- Foundational Breakthroughs are major technological advancements needed for game changer technologies to succeed.
- Weak Signal Wild Cards present the opportunity to be a future game changer or a foundational breakthrough but still in a nascent stage with a number of headwinds to overcome.
Today, I’m diving into Weak Signal Wild Cards — Quantum Computing, 6G Networks and Hyperconnectivity, and Space Tech, and the opportunities and the questions they raise.
Quantum Computing Maturation: The Next Computing Revolution
Quantum computing is progressing toward achieving quantum advantage, the ability to solve complex problems that are beyond the reach of classical computers.
The Promise of Quantum Applications
The potential applications are transformative. In drug development and materials science, quantum computers can simulate chemical reactions with unprecedented efficiency, potentially accelerating pharmaceutical innovation by years. This capability stems from quantum computers potential ability to model molecular behavior at scales that would take classical computers millennia to process.
Major breakthroughs in error correction, qubit stability, and chip miniaturization are rapidly advancing commercialization efforts. Companies like IBM and Google predict that 1,000+ logical qubit systems will be operational by 2030, a milestone that could unlock entirely new categories of problems to solve.
However, the threat of quantum computers breaking asymmetric cryptography — the algorithms that our digital world relies on — grows every year. Experts think there’s up to a 34% chance of this happening by 2034. This would put encrypted communications at risk, compromise the existing digital signatures used to verify the integrity of firmware and software, and undermine digital trust.
HP recently launched the world’s first printers to protect against future quantum computer attacks. Without quantum resilience, a printer facing a quantum attack at the firmware level would be fully exposed through malicious firmware updates, allowing the attacker to achieve stealthy, persistent, and total control of the device.
Weak Signals to Watch
Several weak signals suggest where quantum computing might head next. Breakthroughs in error correction and scalability are occurring alongside a push for quantum cloud services, which could democratize access to quantum computing power. More intriguingly, cross-disciplinary collaborations in material science might lead to unforeseen quantum applications beyond current predictions.
The Unexpected Outcome
Early breakthroughs in cryptography or molecular simulations could transform industries like cybersecurity and drug development far sooner than anticipated. The cryptographic implications alone are staggering — quantum computers could potentially break current encryption standards, necessitating a complete overhaul of digital security infrastructure. This creates both a threat and an opportunity, driving the development of quantum-resistant cryptography.
The question isn’t whether quantum computing will change the world, but rather: Are we prepared for how quickly it might happen?
6G Networks and Hyperconnectivity: Beyond the Speed Barrier
While 5G networks are still rolling out globally, researchers and telecommunications companies are already laying the groundwork for 6G, and the implications extend far beyond faster download speeds.
The Speed Revolution
6G recently clocked speeds 10 times faster than 5G. This speed enhancement will fundamentally enhance the Internet of Things (IoT), real-time augmented and virtual reality, and autonomous systems. Commercial 6G rollouts are expected in the 2030s, though pilot programs and test networks are already being established.
To put this in perspective, 6G could enable instantaneous data transfer at rates approaching 1 terabit per second. This is the difference between streaming a movie and downloading an entire library in milliseconds.
Weak Signals on the Horizon
Integration of 6G with AI-driven networks promises intelligent, self-optimizing communication systems that can predict and respond to network demands in real time. Energy-efficient hardware development is critical, given the massive power requirements of hyperconnectivity.
The Unexpected Outcome
Perhaps the most compelling possibility is the emergence of real-time brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) leveraging 6G’s ultra-low latency and massive bandwidth. Direct neural connections to digital systems could revolutionize how we interact with technology, enabling thought-controlled devices, instant information retrieval, and even neural-to-neural communication.
This raises profound questions: What happens when the boundary between human cognition and digital networks blurs? How do we ensure equitable access to such transformative technology?
Space Tech and Industry Expansion: The Final Frontier Goes Commercial
Space exploration is transitioning from government-led missions to commercial dominance, with private companies pushing boundaries in space tourism, resource extraction, and even permanent settlements.
The Economics of Space
By 2030, the space economy could exceed $1 trillion, driven by dramatically lower launch costs and the prospect of resource extraction from asteroids and other celestial bodies. SpaceX’s reusable rocket technology has already reduced launch costs by an order of magnitude, opening space to a new generation of commercial ventures.
This economic shift is enabling applications that were science fiction a decade ago: space-based manufacturing in zero gravity, asteroid mining for rare earth elements, satellite mega-constellations for global internet coverage, and the early stages of space tourism. Not to mention the possibility of AI data centers in space powered by the sun and connected to the earth via near-instantaneous 6G network connectivity!
The Key Players
SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Rocket Lab lead the private-sector charge, while NASA, the European Space Agency, and China’s National Space Administration (CNSA) continue to push the boundaries of science and exploration. The interplay between commercial innovation and government-funded research is creating a unique ecosystem where public and private interests simultaneously align and compete.
Weak Signals in Orbit
Development of in-orbit manufacturing capabilities could enable the construction of structures too large or complex to launch from Earth. Asteroid mining technologies are advancing from theoretical to practical, with several companies working on prospecting missions. These capabilities could fundamentally alter Earth’s resource economics and manufacturing paradigms.
The Unexpected Outcome
The rise of space militarization or territorial disputes over space resources presents a darker possibility. As space becomes economically valuable, the potential for conflict increases. Who owns asteroid resources? What are the rules of engagement in orbit? How do we prevent an arms race in space?
The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 was written for a different era. As commercial interests expand beyond Earth, we may need new frameworks for space governance, resource allocation, and conflict resolution.
The Convergence Question
These three wild cards don’t exist in isolation. Quantum computing could enable the complex calculations required for 6G network optimization and space mission planning. 6G networks could provide the bandwidth necessary for controlling quantum computers remotely or coordinating space operations in real time. Space-based quantum communication networks could create unhackable global communication systems.
The real transformation may come from the technologies’ convergence.
Looking Forward
Weak signal wild cards are inherently uncertain. They represent technologies with transformative potential but significant obstacles to overcome, including technical challenges, regulatory hurdles, public acceptance, and economic viability. These all factor into whether these nascent technologies become foundational breakthroughs or game-changing forces.
What makes this year particularly interesting is that we’re at an inflection point for all three. Quantum computers are moving from laboratories to commercial applications. 6G standards are being defined and tested. Space ventures are scaling from experimental to operational.
The next few years will determine whether these weak signals amplify into game-changing technologies or encounter obstacles that delay their impact. Either way, they’re worth watching closely because when wild cards come in, they rarely announce themselves in advance.
Andrew Bolwell 