What tech built locally in 2022 will most impact the world in 2023 and beyond?

With technology news constantly breaking, who can keep up? And who can tell what will actually matter to local tech communities? Well, we can.

Following up on our December 2020 coverage of the same theme, December 2022 is Technical.ly’s Technology of the Future Month. We’ll explore topics like quantum computing, autonomous vehicles and commercialization, as well as ask what technologies developed in 2022 will have an impact far beyond this year. Expect extra reporting on the coolest next-gen research coming out of local universities and labs, and what’s happening with Web3 these days.

As we approach the close of another year, we’ll be asking: Who locally is developing the next wave of robotics, climate tech, artificial intelligence, space education, virtual reality and concepts we haven’t even heard of yet? What does increased automation mean for tech jobs? What do futurists say our collective 2023 looks like? What technology that’s being developed now will influence how we live and work in years to come? What jobs will be needed to develop and maintain this tech?

Our reporting will follow threads we’ve explored in the past, and seek to go further. Some relevant recent stories include:

• Reston’s Interstellar Dreams is launching a center to boost space talent (August 2022) — The Interstellar Center is meant to simulate a mission command, space station and planetary habitat for students through a mix of videos and LED lighting.
• Crypto communities and Web3 for all: Scenes from DeFi Philly’s first conference (July 2022) — The group welcomed a few hundred crypto, blockchain and Web3 enthusiasts for its inaugural event in a move to market Philadelphia as a hub for future of internet concepts.
• Healthcare in the metaverse? It might be closer than you think (June 2022) — An interactive look at how the health space, from education to therapeutic support, is evolving through virtual reality.
• This Pittsburgh teen took first place at the Broadcom MASTERS for making a robotic hand (November 2022) — A Squirrel Hill resident won over the judges by crafting a robotic device that could assist in times of disaster.
• From Maryland to the great unknown: These 5 images of outer space will blow your mind (July 2022) — The stunning color images were taken by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, which is operated by the Baltimore-based Space Telescope Science Institute.

Are you an expert we should talk to, or do you know of one? Is there a report we need to read to explain this topic better? Want to write a first-person guest post about your relevant experience or share your career story for a themed How I Got Here feature? Let us know:

P.S. Voting for the 2022 Technical.ly Awards is open in Philly, Baltimore, DC, Delaware and Pittsburgh until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 7. Winners will be announced on Dec. 14. Vote here.