Get involved in the current Future Directions Initiatives:

	Blockchain - More than Cryptocurrency, blockchain is a technological foundation to a new way of conducting transactions, securing networks, and recording the validity and origin of data. Blockchain will allow a new perspective on how humans interact to society's challenges; touching upon everything from financial transactions, energy trading, carbon emission trading, protection and easy access to healthcare records, to the protection of the valued assets of corporations and nation states.
	Brain - This initiative is dedicated to advancing technologies that improve the understanding of brain function, revolutionizing current abilities to reverse engineer neural circuits in both the central and peripheral nervous systems, and developing new approaches to interface the brain with machines for augmenting human-machine interaction and mitigating effects of neurological disease and injury.
	Digital Reality - The IEEE Digital Reality Initiative will serve as the go-to platform at the forefront blend of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), 360-degree media, immersive, and other future potential reality technology spaces.
	5G - The IEEE 5G Initiative is dedicated to bringing together researchers, scientists, and engineers from industry, academia, and governments around the world to solve the challenges associated with the development and deployment of 5G. The IEEE 5G initiative will be a collaborative effort, bringing interdisciplinary exchange from a wide range of professional expertise and practical application knowledge.
	Symbiotic Autonomous Systems - Leveraging on IEEE Societies and ongoing work in the area of autonomous systems all over the world, the initiative aims to foster the transition to a symbiotic relation among autonomous systems.
	Rebooting Computing - IEEE seeks to rethink the computer, "from soup to nuts," including all aspects from device to user interface. This group works from a holistic viewpoint, taking into account evolutionary and revolutionary approaches.

 

The purpose of the Future Directions Handbook is to provide guidance while creating and developing an IEEE Future Directions Initiative through its entire life cycle. This includes best practices, lessons learned, ideas for building new products and services, ideas for revenue generation, identifying proper organizational roles and responsibilities, and establishing budgets and financial goals. As part of the life cycle for an initiative, guidelines will be provided on completing an initiative, possible outcomes, and exit strategy. It will be continuously updated as new ideas and processes are identified.

IEEE Future Directions interviews some of the top subject-matter experts in the field through its Q&A podcast series.

• IEEE Technology Time Machine (TTM) Podcasts - Topics include future technology, paradigm shifts, IEEE TTM reactions and outlook.
• IEEE Big Data Podcasts - Special focus on data-oriented concepts and challenges, from privacy and security to biomedical and analytics.
• IEEE 5G Transmissions - 5G experts discuss implementation challenges and connecting the disconnected.
• IEEE Rebooting Computing Podcasts - Coverage on quantum computing, neuromorphic computing, relevant events, and industry trends.

The IEEE Future Directions Resource Center offers a selection of products from Future Directions' current initiatives for sale. It contains electronic newsletters, videos, webinars, and white papers. IEEE members and IEEE technical community subscribers receive discounts on all products. Through the resource center, you will get a glimpse into the various Future Directions initiatives and the wide range of offerings. Future Directions plans to feature new initiatives and their products in the resource center throughout the year.

Visit the IEEE Future Directions Resource Center

New Incubator Proposals: Accepting requests for 2018

IEEE FDC Incubator Request Form Instructions (PDF, 361 KB)

IEEE FDC Society/Council Incubator Proposal Form (DOC, 30 KB)

IEEE Future Directions Initiatives Report on New Developments

Read the latest highlights (PDF, 370 KB) on Future Directions Initiatives reported at the IEEE Meeting Series on 21 June 2017 in New Brunswick, NJ, USA.

Subscribe to the IEEE Future Directions Newsletter
Members of an IEEE Future Directions technical community receive this newsletter automatically. If you wish to receive this newsletter directly in your inbox, please subscribe to one or more of our technical communities listed above.

Read the latest issue:

2018

• May (PDF, 155 KB)
• March (PDF, 293 KB)
• January (PDF, 121 KB)

2017

• November (PDF, 117 KB)
• September (PDF, 119 KB)
• July (PDF, 118 KB)
• May (PDF, 118 KB)
• March (PDF, 121 KB)
• January (PDF, 120 KB)

2016

• November (PDF, 108 KB)
• September (PDF, 113 KB)
• August (PDF, 106 KB)
• April  (PDF, 103 KB)

Future Directions Articles:

• Choices Regarding Designs Today will Impact Our Shared Future Tomorrow: Read the article (PDF, 279 KB)
• Riding the Technology Time Machine: Read the article (PDF, 134 KB)
• IEEE Launches 5G Initiative to Coalesce Global Industry, Policy Makers, and Academia in Neutral Forum to Move 5G Forward: Read the article
• Understanding the Societal Impact of Autonomous Technologies: Read the article (PDF, 182 KB)
• Q&A with Doug Zuckerman, General Chair of IEEE TTM 2016: Read the interview (PDF, 232 KB)
• IEEE CLOUDSCAPE Newsletter on IEEE and Big Data - May 2016 issue (PDF, 121 KB) 

Join Future Directions at the following events.

• 2018 IEEE Blockchain Summit Korea, 7-8 June 2018, Seoul, Korea
• 2018 4th IEEE Conference on Network Softwarization and Workshops (NetSoft), 25-29 June 2018, Montreal, QC, Canada
• 2018 IEEE 5G World Forum (5GWF), 9-11 July 2018, Santa Clara, CA, USA
• 2018 IEEE Global Blockchain Summit, 17-19 September 2018, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
• 2018 IEEE Cybersecurity Development (SecDev), 30 September - 2 October 2018, Cambridge, MA, USA
• 2018 IEEE Technology Time Machine (TTM), 31 October - 1 November 2018, San Diego, CA, USA
• 2018 IEEE Rebooting Computing Week, 5-9 November 2018, McLean, VA, USA
• 2018 IEEE International Conference on Rebooting Computing, 7-9 November 2018, McLean, VA, USA

These initiatives have reached maturity after following through a full life cycle within Future Directions. Visit their web portals to continue to participate and learn about new volunteer opportunities.

	Big Data - Big data is much more than just data bits and bytes on one side and processing on the other. IEEE, through its Cloud Computing Initiative and multiple societies, has already been taking the lead on the technical aspects of big data. To provide increased value, IEEE will provide a framework for collaboration throughout IEEE. IEEE has launched a new initiative focused on big data. Plans are under way to capture all the different perspectives via in-depth discussions, and to drive to a set of results that will define the scope and the direction for the initiative.
	Cloud Computing - This has become a scalable service consumption and delivery platform in the modern IT infrastructure. IEEE is advancing the understanding and use of the cloud computing paradigm, which currently has a significant impact on the entire information and communications ecosystem.
	Cybersecurity - Through outreach projects, workshops, experiments, and challenge competitions, the IEEE Cybersecurity Initiative builds on IEEE’s long-standing and world-leading technical activities in cybersecurity and privacy to actively engage, inform, and support members, organizations, and communities involved in cybersecurity research, development, operations, policy, and education.
	Green ICT - Green Information and Communications Technology is a key driver of sustainability when green metrics (energy consumption, atmospheric emissions, e-waste, life cycle management) are effectively coupled with its positive socio-economic impacts. IEEE is focused on achieving sustainability through greening ICT and promoting its awareness.
	Internet of Things (IoT) - IoT is a self-configuring and adaptive system consisting of networks of sensors and smart objects whose purpose is to interconnect "all" things, including everyday and industrial objects, in such a way as to make them intelligent, programmable, and more capable of interacting with humans.
	Life Sciences - The overall objective is to make IEEE a major and recognized player in the life sciences, in particular in the disciplines that are at the intersection between the organization's traditional fields—electrical engineering, computer engineering, and computer science—and the life sciences.
	Smart Cities - IEEE experts will work with local government leaders and city planners around the world to explore the issues and address what's needed to prepare for the ever-increasing urban population growth, including engaging and interacting with local inhabitants to increase awareness of their urban environment, leading to the formation of smart cities.
	Smart Grid - The "smart grid" has come to describe a next-generation electrical power system that is typified by the increased use of communications and information technology in the generation, delivery, and consumption of electrical energy.
	Software Defined Networks (SDN) - SDN and NFV (Network Functions Virtualization) are creating the conditions to reinvent network architectures. This is happening first at the edge of the network where "intelligence" has already started migrating, and where innovation is more urgently needed to overcome the "ossification" by improving networks and services infrastructure flexibility.
	Transportation Electrification - IEEE seeks to accelerate the development and implementation of new technologies for the electrification of transportation which is manifested in the electric vehicles (EV) of today and the future.

• Incubates emerging technologies and new applications of current technologies
• Identifies opportunities to engage the engineering community and the general public
• Works with IEEE members and staff to focus on emerging technologies through technical, professional, and educational activities
• Serves as a catalyst for new conferences, publications, standards, educational products, forums, white papers, grants, and projects to support new technologies
   

Through its committee and Industry Advisory Board, the IEEE Future Directions has compiled and maintains a list of new technology areas for consideration. For more detailed information, please visit the IEEE Future Directions New Technology Proposal List page.

You are welcome to submit new ideas. To submit one, please fill out this form. For more information, please contact IEEE Future Directions at ieee-fd@ieee.org.

3D Imaging and Multi-Media	In Memory Computing
3-D Printing	Internet of Space
Autonomous Systems and their Societal Impact	Micro Fluidics
Bio Fuel	NanoPore DNA Sequencing
Blockchain	Carbon Sequestration
NewOS: RebootlessOS	Clean Water
Power in Mobile Systems	Cognitive Radio
Reliability	Digital Cultural Heritage and Smart Environments
Robotics Also Swarms	Environmental Engineering
Safety Critical Systems, Next Gen	Fog Computing and Networking
Symbiotic Machines