Member Article

Consumers want tech to protect the planet before sending tourists into space research from Expleo reveals

Research conducted by Expleo, the technology partner for innovative companies, found that 43% of British consumers care more about technology that can reduce carbon emissions and remove plastics from the oceans, than space travel or house robots. The findings come as the UK government is under pressure to embrace a ‘green’ recovery post COVID.

The report, which surveyed 2,000 UK adults, suggested that people prefer “powerful, but boring” tech that solves real-world problems over flashy gadgets or novelties such as home robotics, virtual reality or home entertainment.

In tandem with the desire to reduce ocean plastics and carbon emissions, 41% of people specified that they would like to see an advance in renewable energies over the next decade. Smart meters, – which by law, will be in every home come 2024 - were praised by over 80% of people for adding value to their lives, due to their long-term potential to reduce energy use and CO2 emissions through better energy management.

On the other hand, interest in “headline grabbing” technology was low. Just 15% of people surveyed expressed an interest in space tourism, and even fewer (11%) said that they want to see robotics carrying out domestic chores in their homes in the next decade. Only 19% of respondents are optimistic about the prospect of self-driving vehicles, but slightly more (22%) said they’d be open to introducing more smart technologies, such as voice assistants, into their homes.

Stephen Magennis, UK Quality MD at Expleo said: “The results of our research suggest that consumers are keen to see technology being used to improve society as a whole and not just bring comfort in our life. This topic is not new, but I think that the coronavirus pandemic has opened many people’s eyes to the transformative role technology can play in solving real-world problems, whether that’s streamlining the transition to remote working or accelerating innovation in the medical sector.

Today’s businesses should not ignore this or they could face serious backlash from their consumers. More than ever, they need to focus on green technology and innovation to positively influence the planet. It is particularly true for businesses in the energy and mobility sectors: reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption, or driving electric vehicles, are top of consumers’ minds.

To reap the benefits of these new technologies, they must be developed and adopted in the right way. Quality assurance, trust and security are three key requirements that the technology of the future depends on to succeed.

Our expertise in prioritising a seamless customer experience combined with our ability to create, test, and scale digital solutions and operationalise at pace, using our automation solutions, means that our customers systems perform reliably.“ Magennis concluded.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Expleo .