Interview: Lisa Andrews and Christina Gerakiteys, SingularityU Australia

In our Leaders in Tech series, we ask the experts about the year ahead. Today we talk ideas and innovation with SingularityU’s Lisa Andrews and Christina Gerakiteys.

Which technologies do you think will be game changers in 2020?

Lisa: Networks and sensors. We currently only have about 50% of the world’s population on the internet. As the rest of the world comes online, we will have the capacity to know anything, anytime, anywhere. We will also have an additional three billion minds and new ideas online.

We will have more sensors collecting data than in any other time in history. The impact of this alone will be phenomenal. I am working with a business tracking invasive species for farmers; Marine Future’s Lab, our first Australian Global Impact Challenge winner, is counting all of the fish in the ocean; and our most recent winner, RipeTime, is using sensors to monitor the entire cold storage process for fresh produce so as to reduce the 50% food wastage from transportation.

Which innovations or disruptions are your customers most concerned about in the year ahead?

Lisa: The future of work is a big one, with concerns over job security and disruptions across all industries. As organisations have more access to technology it is important that we always keep the human front of mind. There will always be work. It’s a matter of mindset, unlearning and relearning new skills.

We have a huge opportunity in Australia as we have always been very innovative by nature. Just recently I did a webinar with Dr David Bray and he mentioned that our biggest opportunity for impact on climate change is to innovate new solutions that can be adopted in the countries with populations over one billion people.

What will be the biggest growth opportunities for your company in 2020?

Christina: Ideas are great; everyone has them. At SingularityU Australia, we specialise in actualising Moonshot ideation. We program unique workshops, produce educational summits and facilitate corporate keynotes to assist businesses and corporations transition into an era of perfect knowledge.

Our first objective is to eliminate the fear of disruptive technologies. Change has always been constant, it’s just that now it’s happening faster, exponentially, and the technologies are more sophisticated. Through our programs, we navigate the conversations to convert fear to opportunity. We convert ideation to product or service and we realise the possibilities when technologies converge.

How are AI, IoT and cyber threats changing your industry sector?

Christina: SingularityU Australia is a positive impact driver. We are leading with Moonshot Thinking so organisations are ahead of the change curve.

Currently there are over three billion device users across the globe and over 14 billion devices. There are another three billion people and 50 billion devices coming online over the next few years. Imagine what opportunities additional brains and the continuing convergence of technologies will create. Devices and smart sensors in wearables, insideables, trackables and flushables are being used to monitor health (diabetes, fitness, diet, sleep) and already impact lives.

Imagine a world where education is accessible to all. The potential for improving lives across our planet is happening now. At SingularityU Australia, we are at the forefront of change, conducting the new wave.

Lisa Andrews spends her days researching and exploring the world’s greatest challenges and ways that we can all make a difference using exponential technologies. Christina Gerakiteys develops and facilitates innovation programs for corporates and educational institutions.

Pictured: Lisa Andrews (left) and Christina Gerakiteys.