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Here is a list of industries and trends I believe have a good future.

Agriculture Technology

As the population increases, so does the demand for food. At the same time demand for food increases, so too does the erosion and depletion of our over-used soil on our farmlands. Technologies that replenish the soil and filter out chemicals and petroleum based products will do well. Another industry that will boom is the greenhouse industry as it is far more productive per acre. From hydroponics, aeroponics and aquaponics - the technology to grow larger volumes of high quality food will be important to our future. I particularly like aquaponics and the way it grows both plants and animals in a unique system whereby both benefit each other and the waste of water can be minimized.

Aerospace Technology

We will go to the other planets - colonies on Mars will be established. They will make use of all sorts of neat aerospace technologies and even agricultural technologies in order to live sustianably. We will need more efficient means to travel from planet to planet. We will need energy, water, food, and the ability to mine planets. Think about terraforming planets like Mars. What about creating an atmosphere? It is theoretically possible…

Healthy Snack Foods

All our snack foods are full of sugar and salt. This isn’t the way it has to be. Stevia is a natural herb and much sweeter than sugar and yet it doesn’t affect blood sugar levels! Agave is another good natural sweetner (from cactus) that barely affects blood sugar levels. Think about all the healthy snacks that will be made in the future… so many people refuse to eat vending machine food because it is unhealthy and doesn’t actually taste THAT great… There is a lack of healthy food options for vending machines - and the ones that are labeled healthy often aren’t or else don’t taste good. There will be a future for healthy and GREAT tasting foods.

Health Food

Organic, fresh and full of flavour - the type of food we were meant to eat. Many of the varieties of food found in stores, like vegetables, are varieties that look good and can travel well without bruising, but don’t always taste the best… Also think about food that caters to specific illnesses.

Building Technologies

It takes a lot of work and time to build a building! There are so many opportunities to create solutions that will save both time and money to construct buildings. For example, a lego-like building block that is wind, water, and fire proof! It would be put together quickly and efficiently and have very good insulating properties. Another idea is to look further into the earthship idea where soil is used as a primary building block. There are so many ways to improve upon the way we currently construct buildings…

Energy Storage Technologies

Our battery technologies are several centuries old and one of the primary reasons why electric vehicles aren’t completely practically (though they are becoming more so every day with sky rocketing oil prices!). We need to find a better method to store energy! Oil is just a store of energy… chemical batteries are just a way to store energy. Several key ideas that look promising include flywheels and ultra-capacitators!

Alternative Energy Technologies

Think solar. The sun is where we get all our energy… think about the food chain and the cycle of life… The sun is where it’s at… so why not go direct to the source for energy? If we had proper ways to store energy we wouldn’t need to worry about night or cloudy days. Think concentrating solar panels like Sterling Energy Systems. There are so many opportunities from solar cells on paper thin materials and plastics to solar cells in windows and paint and even clothing fabric…

Health Care

What can I say? The baby boomer’s are getting older and the health care industry has a bright future. Think about the alternative health fields - herbs and healthy foods…

Overall

There are many opportunities in EVERY industry. The way we do things is out of date. Watch for huge opportunities in the food, shelter, health and transportation industries along with the technology and sciences. Sciences have just barely touched the surface. Many of the things we want to do have already been done by nature - and done well too! I like the thought of bio-engineering products by looking to nature to find inspiration and solutions.