A 2017 World Economic Forum survey predicted a series of "technological tipping points" for the 2020s. Predictions included 3D-printed cars, autonomous vehicles, and the first artificial intelligence machine on a company's board.

UBS suggests the ‘20s could also be an era of smart cities, where big data and robotics ensure better governance, health, and connectivity. The global bank expects annual spending to turn cities smart will reach $2 trillion in 2025 and internet-connected devices will multiply more than four-fold to 46 billion.

Just this week, Toyota announced an ambitious plan with Copenhagen-based Bjarke Ingels Group to turn a 70-hectare site near Mount Fuji into a testing ground for its most advanced ideas in homes, transportation, and energy. 

The plan calls for the city’s wooden buildings to draw on renewable energy – solar and geothermal as well as hydrogen fuel-cell technology. Homes will use robotics and artificial intelligence, have groceries delivered, and garbage removed automatically.

To take advantage of these shifts, investors will focus on areas such as autonomous vehicles — automated forklift shipments will grow to 455,000 in 2030 from 4,000 in 2019, ABI Research said.

-Marc