BENGALURU: TE Connectivity, today announced the findings of its 2014 survey, “The Future of Technology – An Engineer’s Outlook,” revealing the emerging technology trends in various sectors as observed by the Indian engineering community. A sample size of 1,596 engineering professionals and aspiring engineers responded to the online survey.

“In a land of software engineers, it is interesting to note that product design and hardware is a passion for a lot of engineers in India,” said Rob Shaddock, executive vice president and chief technology officer at TE Connectivity. “From the steam engine in the 1800s to the autonomous vehicle today, transformative technology and engineered innovations will continue to drive the future forward,” Shaddock added. “Setting new trends, and doing so in a collaborative way, is at the core of what TE engineers and scientists represent.”

According to the survey, 58 percent of engineers say the most innovative patents are being filed in the electronics hardware area of product design. Mechatronics is pegged as the most preferred branch of engineering to drive breakthrough innovations. The survey also reveals that 52 percent of engineers opt for innovations with a larger social impact and a less commercial impact.

The survey highlights the key drivers of innovation in sectors such as automotive, broadband connectivity and communications, consumer devices and aerospace industry. 

Key Survey Findings:

44 percent of engineers prefer electronics hardware as their area of interest for research

23 percent of engineers say Internet of Things (IoT) is the key disruptive trend in mechanical and

electronic engineering

36 percent indicate hybrid electric vehicles as the key driving factor for future innovations in automotive sector

32 percent say energy harvesting is the key driving factor for future innovation in consumer electronics sector

78 percent feel robotics and UAVs rule the space of innovation in aerospace and defense sector

22 percent peg wearable computing to be the technology that will have the most impact in the next five years

With the growing popularity of mechatronics, 27 percent of engineers say mechanical engineering is the most suited branch to combine with electronics

40 percent believe spectrum and signal optimization to be the biggest driving factor of innovation in the networking and telecommunications space

Leadership in Innovation

In November 2014, TE was named a Thomson Reuters 2014 Top 100 Global Innovator for the fourth consecutive year. The program, an initiative of Thomson Reuters’ Intellectual Property & Science business, honors the 100 corporations and institutions that are dedicated to innovation, committed to protecting patent rights globally, and whose inventions have worldwide influence.

TE has over 18,000 patents granted or pending, 7,500 engineers and invests nearly five percent of sales in research, development and engineering. Twenty five percent of the company’s sales come from new products introduced over the last three fiscal years and, in the past year, TE has significantly expanded its range of sensor solutions.
Read Also: Google Best Place to Work, Twitter Off the Grid
United States: Most Preferred Destination By Indian Students