Technology that once seemed a long-term ambition for many companies has become a necessity in the past two years, as companies have accelerated their digital transformation efforts to cope with the impacts of the pandemic. Previously innovative practices such as virtual communications, personalised digital engagement, immersive modelling, rapid prototyping and efficient remote-collaboration tools are now mainstream.

The pandemic catalysed the creation of two classes of company. The first, with a low level of digital maturity, struggled to implement innovative systems, having to play catch-up before they could tackle the challenges that Covid-19 restrictions put on organisations. The second, which already had high levels of digital maturity, thrived, adopting future-proofing technologies to navigate the pandemic’s challenges. This group is ready for the next wave of digital disruption, which I believe will be a series of market movements and innovative...