Partner Insight: How have companies like Amazon contributed to the megatrend tech revolution?
Over the past decade, the technology ‘megatrend' - whether it is the evolution of computers and artificial intelligence or the growth of the internet of things - has radically disrupted the way many companies work and in a number of different ways.
Technology changes have been fast, and companies have had to move quickly to keep up. Take mobile banking; it is predicted that by 2020 over two billion people will be using mobile banking. Swiss financial services giant Credit Suisse believes robots and technology could help reduce the number of calls coming into the bank's compliance call centre by as much as 50%.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) also described 11 key clusters of technology innovation that are putting pressure on the financial system value chain and which are likely to cause material changes to the way the world undertakes its financial transactions. In the investment management sector, digitalisation and automation are really leading to the empowerment of investors through customisation and access to markets.
Meanwhile, the rise of green technologies - which thirty years ago you rarely heard about - is today seen as a competitive alternative to fossil fuels. Technology is also helping to fuel a rise in flexible working. This prospect of more and more people working from home or working flexibly means there is likely to be a gradual reduction in individuals' carbon footprint. So technology, in a range of different ways, is giving us a chance to decrease emissions, and do our bit for the planet.
But how can investors ensure they are correctly positioned to hone in on these opportunities and their ability to generate superior returns? Listen to the exclusive AXA IM podcast: Megatrends: Investing in the future to find out.
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