Blockchain technology could revolutionise the world economy. A decentralised ledger that holds details of all transactions in a network, blockchain allows participants a definitive and instant timeline of all dealings, without involving a third-party intermediary. Or, as Don Tapscott, CEO of Tapscott Group explains, blockchain offers “an immutable, un-hackable distributed database of digital assets, a platform for truth and a platform for trust.” He believes the implications of blockchain are staggering, not just for the financial-services industry in as the building blocks of cryptocurrencies, but across virtually every aspect of society.

3D printing technology has transformed the potential of many industrial and manufacturing processes for almost three decades, but creeping up behind it is a new technology that takes the concept of additive manufacturing even further – 4D printing.

The 4IR marks a new period of rapid transition driven by technology. The amalgamation of automation, connectivity, artificial intelligence and robotics, is creating entire industries, sectors and careers, and leading others to vanish entirely. Indeed, it is estimated that automation will threaten more than 800m jobs worldwide by 2030.