The business world goes through a constant transformation that is usually driven by a certain number of relevant trends that give the overall landscape some sense of direction and predictability. Over the last couple of years, this firmly established pattern was completely thrown off the rails with the outbreak of COVID-19 and the ongoing European crisis that still cast a very large shadow over the corporate playing field.
Add to the equation the lighting-fast development of digital technologies that gave all the processes in the business sector a breakneck pace and you will get a corporate climate that is very hard to predict and properly asses.
Still, some major trends that will, most likely, prove to be the most disruptive are definitely taking form. Let us take a look then at some of the most important mentions and see what can they say about the period ahead.
Metaverse finally taking off
Saying that the Meta didn’t really live up to the expectations is too polite. However, no one can deny that the very idea of the alternative virtual world is incredibly novel and that Zuckerberg is willing to keep burning money until he proves everyone wrong. And you know what – this sheer commitment does put Metaverse on a path of growth. Slow and steady, but growth nevertheless. Also, we have to keep in mind other rising metaverse platforms like Roblox, Decentraland, and The Sandbox that keep luring in a growing number of household brands. This market is ripe for explosion and this might happen in 2023.
The blockchain breaking into the mainstream
Citing blockchain as some hot novel technology that will take the business world overnight would not be entirely fair. After all, blockchain computing has been a relevant business force ever since 2008 and the introduction of Bitcoin. However, what started as a snowball is finally turning into a giant avalanche. For instance, the companies that are now spending about $6 billion on blockchain (a 50% increase from 2020) are planning to increase that number to $18 billion by 2024. These leaps are truly stunning and if blockchain maintains this pace through 2023 it will become a critical part of the business infrastructure.
A greater emphasis on workplace safety
For years now, businesses all around the world were trying to find new ways to improve employees’ overall well-being. Improving workplace safety makes an integral part of this process and with so many assets to work toward this goal this trend should pack some very serious steam. One of the facts contributing to this process is that there is no real way to make a bad move. So no matter whether you are going to equip employees with quality work clothes or utilize IoT combined with AR headsets, you are working toward the same goal. This wealth of options will definitely give this trend a strong push forward.
Tides turning for renewable energy
If there is one thing we had an opportunity to learn during 2022 that would be that the global energy market is not only unsustainable but also very susceptible to massive, industry-stopping disruptions. This new reality gives renewable energy an entirely new relevance and turns sustainability and green technologies from novelty to an absolute requirement. So, on the one hand, we will see the massive production of assets like solar panels, their prices will need to drop to more reasonable levels and the companies will, through various rebates and incentives, be encouraged to become energy independent and efficient.
Social media influence keeps growing
Social media platforms are already a massive force in the business arena. However, it looks like the best days of social media are only yet to come. The force that is giving this massive sector an even greater swat over the corporate landscape comes in the form of built-in ecommerce platforms that are now finding their way even to some of the less suspicious social media contenders like TikTok. This means that popular social media websites now become a place where companies are capable of implementing all instances of their sales funnel which again puts them into the spotlight and makes them an even greater force.
The rise of hybrid and contingent workforce
And for the very end, we have to mention the rise of remote teams and contingent workforce that may have been developing for quite some time but truly got wider attention only with the outbreak of the global pandemic. Now that when they demonstrated their practical value neither of these models seems content with anything but continuing expansion. As time goes by and collaborative cloud tech keeps evolving, that expansion will only become easier. That means that already during 2023 may see the birth of a much more fragmented and decentralized, but also far nimbler and more flexible business world.
We hope these few mentions gave you a general idea about the direction where the business world be heading in 2023 and beyond. As we mentioned in the introduction, these few examples make only the tip of the iceberg hiding under surface and the present-day corporate environment is too complex to make any safe estimates on a wider scale. But even this narrow peak into the future gives us a very good idea about where our 2023 priorities should be set. And as far as we know the direction in which to go, any step we make will be a step forward.
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