Robot world and the roaring 20s

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, 5G IoT, virtual/augmented reality and robotics are considered the coming forces among real estate customers, which begins to explain how technology is expected to accelerate change in the sector during the 2020s.

These are profound changes which will not only impact how key industries are managed but also how they occupy real estate – and who occupies real estate on their behalf. Interestingly no one technology scores over 50%, suggesting views are divided on which innovations will have the most impact on the real estate overall.

Tools such as Amazon’s Alexa have removed the mystique from AI as people have realised that it can make their lives easier, and it is perhaps not surprising to note that the highest acceptance of this technology is in arguably the most tech-advanced sector – life sciences.

We asked real estate professionals, and occupiers across four key sectors, what technologies would have the biggest impact on real estate over the next five years.

While 5G is the technology most likely to impact all sectors of real estate, real estate professionals and life sciences occupiers consider AI and machine learning to be very important.
 
After 5G, robotics is seen as the most important technology for the life sciences sector, and for retail over the next five years, reflecting the automation involved in logistics and distribution. More surprisingly, office occupiers see robotics and 3D printing as the second and third most impactful technologies respectively for offices after 5G.