下個十年，這3大產業潛力無窮：食品網購、遠距醫療、「放鬆飲料」
編輯/簡旻柔
「儘管目前科技產業面臨一些困難，多家科技公司宣布裁員、技術投資趨緩，仍然有三種產業前景看好！」身兼記者、投資者與顧問身份的John Boitnott表示，下個十年將蓬勃發展的產業，與過去二十年大不相同！
1. 食品網路購物
現今人們已習慣在網路上購買書籍、衣服等產品，而食品的網上購物在接下來的幾年將更加興盛。由於諸多原因，例如人們工時更長更加忙碌，及人們這些日子以來，對電子商務信賴度不斷提高等，食品網路購物是未來全球產業一大趨勢。
2. 遠距醫療與照護
目前遠距醫療照護，可讓醫療人員遠距監控病人生活習慣、視訊會議諮詢，或是線上傳送醫療診斷報告等。隨著世界逐漸高齡化、醫生與病床等資源有限，及慢性病（如心臟病、糖尿病等）可遠距照料患者增加等因素，隨著科技發展，相關設備帶來的高效率與便利性，將造成遠距醫療照護在未來持續發展。
3. 放鬆飲品（Relaxation beverages）
相反於富含能振奮精神的咖啡因飲品「能量飲料」，「放鬆飲品」能讓人緩和、鎮定。「放鬆飲品」仍還在發展的初期階段，但隨著人們對能量飲料副作用（如腸胃不適、胸疼、暈眩、心悸、失眠等）的抨擊，「放鬆飲品」未來可能會因其強調幫助睡眠與放鬆的療效而受人青睞。
Right now we are experiencing a bit of a contraction in the tech ecosystem, as many companies announce layoffs and venture capitalists slow down their investing. In my opinion this is just a natural, appropriate reaction to a lack of strong business fundamentals among some companies and not a precursor to a major collapse of some sort. Even though investor enthusiasm seems to have waned, there are still industries with such an upside that they will probably be expanding for years to come.
Apart from providing new market opportunities for investors, industries set for lots of growth are also often favored by lending institutions, which want to provide affordable business loans to smart business people with their finger on the pulse of industry growth potential (and a detailed plan in place).
With technologies changing and introducing sectors across the globe, it’s clear to see that the booming businesses of the next decade are likely to be quite different from what we』ve seen over the past 20 years. If you』re keen to build a company that leads the pack, these three growing industries are worth considering investing your time, money, passion, and energy into today.
1. Online food purchasing.
You might already buy your music, books, clothes, accessories, gifts and other items online, but in the coming years you will likely also purchase more and more of your food that way too. Although online food sales have been growing consistently for the last few years, the trend is set to rapidly increase over the coming decade.
A number of different reasons are causing the growth in the amount of food sold online. Entrepreneurs that are aware of these changes in online shopping habits can be the first to benefit from new market growth. The first factor is that buyers are busier than ever and working longer hours, making the purchase of groceries online an easier, more feasible option. In addition, consumers are increasingly comfortable with purchasing items via e-commerce sites, so they have more trust in having them delivered straight to their door.
Related: Chili's Is Getting Into the Delivery Business -- For Orders $125 and Up
Telehealth.
Health services provided by companies that use digital technology to remotely administer education and different types of medical support are known as 「telehealth.」 This strongly growing field is projected to become one of the biggest industries in coming years, driven largely by aging populations around the world. More and more people will need care, but it’s not entirely sure there will be enough hospital beds and practitioners available to provide it. As a result, technology will be used to bridge the gap.
The growth in this area also stems from the rise in the number of people with chronic health conditions like heart disease and diabetes who can be advised and monitored remotely rather than in person. Many advances in technology are making telehealth services more cost effective and feasible to deliver in large numbers. Also, a big bump in support provided for health services in many countries may be used to set up telehealth programs.
The telehealth industry covers a wide range of different medical services. The most common types of services so far though are things like monitoring patients remotely for changes in health or lifestyle choices; video conference consultations; and the digital transmission and storage of medical data (such as X-rays, other scans, and patient files).
Related: How One Company Is Mining Big Data to Fight Diabetes
2. Relaxation beverages.
Over the years you have likely tried some sort of energy drink, or at least know a number of people who have. While these types of beverages have been popular for more than a decade, 「relaxation beverages」 are becoming more popular. This sector of the food and drink market is already on the rise and is likely to become a very familiar term soon.
As the name suggests, relaxation drinks are supposed to be the opposite of energy beverages. Instead of being full of caffeine to keep consumers alert and awake, relaxation drinks will be sold for their calming effect. These new types of beverages will be marketed for their sleep-promotion and relaxation benefits, as they can help consumers rest more thoroughly and switch off. The types of beverages created in the sector often contain active ingredients like melatonin or I-theanine, and come in the form of carbonated drinks, dairy-based beverages or ready-to-drink teas.
Related: 4 Healthy Alternatives to Energy Drinks
The new industry is still in early stages, but the consumer backlash against some commonly-reported side effects of energy drinks (such as gastrointestinal upsets, tremors, palpitations, dizziness, chest pain, and insomnia) will probably help move sentiment towards relaxation-based recipes instead. Research firm IBISWorld released a report that shows the relaxation drink market grew 23 percent in 2014, and is expected to increase to a value of over $260 million over the coming few years.
文章來源：entrepreneur
圖片來源：pixabay