Introduction

Jonathan Mitchener, Futurologist at BT, will explore a range of potential future disruptive technologies relating to healthcare.

Outline

• What if your ageing relatives were cared for by a robot?
• What if  the only way to control a pandemic outbreak was to chip and track humans?
• What if  your surgeon told you that he won't be in the room while carrying out your operation?

For Jonathan Mitchener of BT, these questions are not as absurd as they sound. It is his job to look to the future to see how technology is going to develop in coming years and how this will impact the way we work and live.

In this lecture, Jonathan will look at unexpected past events before exploring a range of possible future disruptive technologies. Specific examples of sensor networks, biotechnology, robotics and device futures will illustrate the enormous potential for these technologies.

The future, however, is not simply about technology. The radically changing environment that we live in will inevitably influence the decisions we make and why we make them. Jonathan’s talk will address the social and cultural implications of future developments and will consider how this may affect the health and well-being of people.

Jonathan’s aim is to open your mind to new technologies and future scenarios. You will begin to ask yourself "what if" questions and perhaps you will even change the way you work.

Join us afterwards for dinner in the IET’s Riverside Room and network with peers in a warm and congenial atmosphere.

About the speaker

Jonathan Mitchener joined BT in 1988, and is an expert in future technologies and their possible impacts on business.