An overview of major technology trends in 2014, and examples of European companies that are building innovative businesses on top of them.

1. Big technology trends in 2014
(+ examples of small European companies blazing trails)
@robinwauters / founding editor of Tech.eu

2. A little bit about me
@robinwauters / founding editor of Tech.eu

3. Trends do not necessarily equal innovation

4. Sometimes, big companies set the trends
(as in: not startups)

5. Sometimes, startups set the trends
(as in: decidedly not the big tech companies)

6. Accurately predicting future trends in
tech is almost impossible ... fortunately

7. Trend #1- The Internet of Everything

8. Trend #1- The Internet of Everything
Cisco's definition:
“IoE brings together people, process, data, and
things to make networked connections more
relevant and valuable than ever before —
turning information into actions that create
new capabilities, richer experiences, and
unprecedented economic opportunity for
businesses, individuals, and countries.”

9. Trend #1- The Internet of Everything
- 30+ billion connected devices by 2020 (ABI)
- dozens of trillions connections between them
- huge anticipated impact on supply of water
and food, education, fitness and healthcare,
climate change, and countless other 'things'

10. Trend #1- The Internet of Everything
Lock8 (UK)

11. Trend #1- The Internet of Everything
CubeSensors (Slovenia)

12. Trend #1- The Internet of Everything
Tado° (Germany)

13. Trend #1- The Internet of Everything
Intellectronics / iSocket (Finland)

14. Trend #2- Lean Hardware & Robotics

15. Trend #2 - Lean Hardware & Robotics
- More and more entrepreneurs take the 'lean',
agile approach to hardware manufacturing
- using “modern tools of digital fabrication,
online collaboration and e-commerce to create
a new way to make and distribute things”
- Minimize waste and risk to maximize chances
of success and return on investment

16. Trend #2 – Lean Hardware & Robotics
Raspberry Pi (UK)

17. Trend #2 – Lean Hardware & Robotics
Jolla (Finland)

18. Trend #2 – Lean Hardware & Robotics
Geeksphone (Spain)

19. Trend #2 – Lean Hardware & Robotics
Kano (UK)

20. Trend #3- Smart Wearable Technology

21. Trend #3- Smart Wearable Technology
- Wearable computers, meet ubiquitous
computing. Be nice to each other.
- Making technology pervasive in all aspects of
life, in ways no other computer would be able to
- Realtime everything: monitoring + recording

22. Trend #3- Smart Wearable Technology
MuteWatch (Sweden)

23. Trend #3- Smart Wearable Technology
Now Computing / Stormfly (Spain)

24. Trend #3- Smart Wearable Technology
ShoeSense (France)

25. Trend #3- Smart Wearable Technology
Memoto (Sweden)

26. Trend #4 – Connected Cars & Fleets

27. Trend #4 – Connected Cars & Fleets
- Car as Internet-connected platforms
- Allowing drivers to connect with their cars via
smart devices, even from a distance
- Opportunities for entertainment, data,
location and network sharing, etc.

28. Trend #4 – Connected Cars & Fleets
High Mobility (Estonia)

29. Trend #4 – Connected Cars & Fleets
Cloud Your Car (Poland)

30. Trend #5 – Personal Health Monitoring

31. Trend #5 – Personal Health Monitoring
- Rising 'Quantified Self' wave
- It's not just about 'lifelogging', it's about using
data to improve and maintain our health
- Fitness and activity tracking, genetics,
personal analytics, sleep monitoring

32. Trend #5 – Personal Health Monitoring
Runtastic (Austria)

33. Trend #5 – Personal Health Monitoring
Scanadu (Belgium)

34. Trend #5 – Personal Health Monitoring
Withings (France)

35. Trend #6 – Gesture Recognition & Control

36. Trend #6 – Gesture Recognition & Control
- Interpreting and acting on human gestures via
mathematical algorithms
- Will make text and graphical user interfaces
look primitive over time (for certain things)
- Opportunities for entertainment but also
education, healthcare, and more

37. Trend #6 – Gesture Recognition & Control
Omek Interactive (Israel)

38. Trend #6 – Gesture Recognition & Control
SoftKinetic (Belgium)

39. Trend #6 – Gesture Recognition & Control
PrimeSense (Israel)

40. Trend #7 – 3D Printing

41. Trend #7 – 3D Printing
- From digital model to three-dimensional solid
object in no time (additive manufacturing)
- Both for mass production, domestic
(hobbyist) use - fashion and art
- Applications in architecture, engineering,
construction, industrial design, automotive,
aerospace, military, healthcare, etc.

42. Trend #7 – 3D Printing
Materialise (Belgium)

43. Trend #7 – 3D Printing
GrabCAD (Estonia)

44. Trend #7 – 3D Printing
BEEVERYCREATIVE (Portugal)

45. Trend #7 – 3D Printing
Leapfrog (The Netherlands)

46. Trend #8 – Collaborative Consumption

47. Trend #8 – Collaborative Consumption
- 'Sharing economy': shift from ownership to
access, both businesses and consumers
- Enables distribution, sharing and reuse of
excess capacity in property, goods and services
- Rise of social media usage, broadband
penetration and information technology

48. Trend #8 – Collaborative Consumption
HouseTrip (UK)

49. Trend #8 – Collaborative Consumption
FON (Spain)

50. Trend #8 – Collaborative Consumption
BlaBlaCar (France)

51. Trend #8 – Collaborative Consumption
Carpooling (Germany)

52. Trend #9 – Digitization of Finance

53. Trend #9 – Digitization of Finance
- Not just payments, but banking, accountancy,
currency exchange, expense management etc.
- Smart connected devices + faster
connectivity + financial tech improvements
- Impacting consumers, merchants, large
retailers and corporations alike

54. Trend #9 – Digitization of Finance
SumUp (Germany)

55. Trend #9 – Digitization of Finance
iZettle (Sweden)

56. Trend #9 – Digitization of Finance
Paymill (Germany)

57. Trend #9 – Digitization of Finance
TransferWise (Estonia/UK)

58. There are many stories left to be told ...
@robinwauters / founding editor of Tech.eu