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FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES

The word "technology" has sometimes become synonymous with "information technology," and "tech workers" are understood to work for companies like Google and Facebook. At Emerald, we contend that all industrial companies are technology companies because technology is and always has been at the core of industrial activity.

From the onset of the Industrial Revolution, the industrial history of the world is a succession of changes brought about by technological advancement. From the invention of the mechanical loom to the advent of additive manufacturing, innovation, disruptive or otherwise, has displaced established players and has enabled the success of new entrants.

Today, future technologies present an exhilarating challenge for those players who wield them but can lead to a traumatic experience for incumbent companies that don’t.

OUR DIFFERENTIATORS:
  • In-house technology and critical application deep-domain knowledge
  • Grounded knowledge of technology real impacts on operations and markets
  • Understanding the right investment strategy for the commercialization of new technologies
  • Identifying disruptive technologies importing the value on an investment

In the same way that Thanksgiving is a profitable event for butchers and an unhappy surprise for turkeys, whether a future technology constitutes an opportunity or an existential threat is a matter of foresight, perspective, and positioning.

Emerging technologies signal their existence and potential long before they become mature. Emerald Strategy Partners will serve as your peripheral vision and help you pick up those signals among the background noise. We will work with you to identify, understand and assess the emerging technologies relevant to your business before they catch you blindsided.

“How will emerging technologies affect my existing market? Will there be new markets where I should compete? What is the correct product portfolio to engage those markets?” These are questions that successful incumbents need to answer.

Emerald Strategy Partners will work with you to understand how emerging technologies will affect your markets and how your product strategy must adapt. We will support you as we review existing products and plan new products, and we will help you develop and commercialize those products.

In many asset-intensive industries, a company’s asset portfolio has a carefully calibrated composition that optimizes risk and returns. The introduction of emerging technology can change the optimization parameters, for example, when a new type of asset becomes available. Should the company rebalance its portfolio to incorporate that type of asset or do nothing?

Emerald Strategy Partners can help you understand the value that emerging technologies can create for you, how they can fit within your portfolio, and when your assets become at risk of obsolescence. 

Advances in technology mean that new and better materials, manufacturing methods, and components constantly become available. And yet many companies are content with the status quo—”why to fix it if it’s not broken?” they might ask. In many cases, when the cost and complexity of change outweigh the rewards, they are right; but in some cases, companies that fail to see the potential are at risk of being overtaken by those competitors that have embraced new technology and are now capable of producing better products for less.

Contact us now to find out how Emerald Operating Partners can help you realize the full potential of your business.