Disruptive technology and disruptive innovation: ignore at your peril!

ABSTRACT This article reviews the far-reaching impact of some of the most potent disruptive technologies and disruptive innovations sweeping the world today like Digitalisation, Internet, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, 3D Printing and Renewable Energy to name a few. Industry aims to connect all production means to enable their interaction in real time thanks to technologies like Cloud, Big Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things. 3D Printing will radically change current manufacturing and construction practices. Renewable Energy will displace fossil fuels to a large extent. Education practices will be significantly impacted by the innovative applications of Information and Communication Technologies. Online business will dominate retail business. While new skills will be required, joblessness amongst large sections of the population will increase posing new socio-economic and political problems.