Digital planet

We are on track to live in a world where the number of smart devices surpasses the number of people on the planet. What does that mean? From monitoring patient health at home and alerting city officials where snowplows are needed during a storm to helping ports track shipping containers more efficiently, connected devices are making their mark. Add to that advanced materials and 3D printing, and manufacturing is poised to revolutionize the way business is conducted. Gartner estimates there will be more than 21 billion connected devices by 2020, compared to 4.9 billion devices in 2016.

Connected devices will change manufacturing. GE builds locomotives equipped with more than 250 sensors that measure 150,000 data points per minute. Nanotechnology as an industry is expected to grow to $75.8 billion by 2020. Other advanced materials include transparent concrete, self-healing airplanes, buildings and bridges, and robotic materials that sense stimuli and determine how to react.