DEFTECH (DEfence Future TECHnologies) is a continuous effort part of the Technology Foresight research program at armasuisse Science & Technology in collaboration with Envisioning. This report covers the fields of Life Sciences, Materials and Manufacturing, Computing and Artificial Intelligence, Communications and Sensing, Energy, Vehicles and Space, and includes specific insight regarding development in each area.
DEFTECH 2017 follows the methodology of Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in an attempt to numerically qualify the mapped technologies from 1 to 9 according to their maturation: from a concept beginning to be translated to applied research and development to an actual system that has already been proven to function properly after having successfully been released in a relevant environment.
All presented technologies were previously included in the report "Future Technology Themes: 2030 to 2060) published by the Australian Department of Defence in 2013. With Envisioning, this information was assessed and visually depicted in an interactive visualization, which enables the user to navigate throughout one hundred emerging technologies in the respective fields.
Now jump in and discover the relevant technological and scientific trends for the future of defense.
The aim of the Technology Foresight research program is to identify disruptivetechnology trends. It will assess their implications within a military context and indicate possible consequences for the Swiss Armed Forces. armasuisse Science and Technology is contributing to the identification of future technologies that may significantly change the military environment. Identifying potentially disruptive technology trends in good time will allow risks affecting developments and planning for the armed forces to be addressed in a timely manner. This requires the continuous pursuit and evaluation of research activity across a variety of technology areas.
› Technology ForesightEnvisioning is a virtual research institute. We provide technological foresight to policy and decision makers worldwide. Our global team of academics, hackers and designers study technology to understand accelerating change. We share our work with our own tools, methodology and design. › envisioning.io
From agriculture to artificial intelligence, technology is innovation created to solve problems, making it a key driver of change. To understand how hospitals will change and adapt, we have mapped dozens of emerging technologies related to the overarching theme.
Each technology was assessed and evaluated for readiness. We also provide insight into organizations developing the technologies, such as startups, academic institutions and innovation hubs.