Top Tech Trends Debate 2022
The Top Tech Trends Debate returned to its live event format on Wednesday 7 September as a headline event of the Digital Innovation Festival Victoria for 2022.
Dr Tien Kieu MP Dr Tien Kieu MP, representing the Victorian State Government, opened the event by thanking the Churchill Club and the event's panel members.
A spirited debate unfolded with our dynamic line-up of panellists pitching with energy and passion. Expertly moderated by Gretchen Scott, co-founder of Tech Diversity Lab, panellists had a rapid-fire 3 minutes to pitch their respective trends that must not be obvious today, but explosive in 3-5 years time.
World-leading digital marketing strategist Con Frantzeskos kicked off by pitching his trend of ‘Closer to the couch’- the idea that over the next few years every major industry will be available ‘from the couch’, at the touch of a button, particularly in the health-tech space where devices could track our movements, pre-empting and warning changes within our body.
Global award-winning innovator, intrapreneur and technologist Penelope Barr spoke passionately about the ongoing fight for privacy, stating ‘surveillance isn’t safety, it’s the internet's business model’, and how as a society we are the custodians of our own privacy. Penelope implored tech industries to ethically and responsibly innovate to preserve privacy for all of society.
Prof. David Grayden pitched on the emerging use of electroceuticals, or ‘electric medicine’ in bionic devices, used in conjunction with innovative closed-loop control to treat more diseases, and detect side-effects to allow adjustment of stimulation within the body, a trend panellists and the audience were very optimistic about given its potential to dramatically enhance health-tech.
Breakthrough Victoria’s Executive Director of Investment Management’s Bienna Chow pitched emerging technologies being at the forefront of the geopolitical climate, with tech diplomacy shaping both the sharing and denying of advanced technology development, playing a vital role in the sharing (or denying) of foreign aid, education and emerging tech in health advancements.
Dr Shaanan Cohney took to the stage with his trend of ‘Privately Sharing Data’. Shaanan presented a spirited pitch (props included!) on an emerging trend that he believes will explode into a ‘trillion dollar industry’ within the next 5 years, utilising PETS (Privacy Enhancing Technologies) to allow various personal data to be compiled without ever sharing that data publicly- an emerging tech trend that Shaanan identified as particularly critical to the future of healthcare that has the potential to improve outcomes and opportunities without compromising patients privacy.
Once the panellists had pitched their ideas on ‘the next big thing in tech’, it was over to the audience who voted to decide the winner, and we could not have had a closer contest down to the final seconds of voting! In a photo-finish, it was Dr Shaanan Cohney who was crowned the winner of this year's Top Tech Trends Debate.
At the conclusion of the debate, guests enjoyed networking and sampling some fabulous products from our drinks sponsor Starward’s range of award-winning whiskey and pre-mix cocktails. Our thanks also to Melbourne Connect for the fantastic venue space, and Food & Beverages provided for the event.
We are very grateful for the support of our major sponsor Digital Innovation Futures and the Victorian State Government for their support of the DIF Festival, along with all our sponsors and event partners who contributed to such a successful event.
We look forward to discovering the trends that will shape our future in 2023 and beyond!
