Finance and other natural disasters will become increasingly important. Water management – companies that are developing, improving and building new technologies and systems such as smart irrigation systems, water recycling and desalination are likely to see increased business in a world that’s getting warmer and increasingly thirsty. Ag tech – traditional farming makes a big impact on climate –particularly livestock farming. Interest in new farming and food technologies such as plant-based protein, sustainable agriculture, food security and other innovations is rising in response to these concerns. Personalized medicine Medicine used to be a “one pill fits all” kind of profession. With the rapid development of genetic testing and related technologies, we now know that different people react to different medicines in different ways. That’s going to open up new lines of business for companies developing therapies and treatments tailor-made for individual patients. Sequencing and diagnostics – before you develop personalized medicine, you need to map and sequence an individual’s genetic information. Companies in the business of making sequencing quick, accurate and affordable will be at the forefront of this trend. Personalized drugs – many pharmaceutical companies are developing drugs that work with a patient’s personal metabolism or genetic makeup. You can just imagine how lucrative such businesses could end up being one day. Immunotherapy – one sub-category of personalized drugs is harnessing or activating a patient’s individual immune system to fight diseases. Such therapy is already being used in cancer treatment, for example, where an analysis of individual tumour profiles can be used to create tailor-made treatments. If such treatment becomes commonplace, it will likely be immensely profitable. An aging population As advancements in medicine and medical treatments help us live longer, healthier lives, the health-care companies which create the products and services that an elderly population needs could enjoy a lot more business. “Age-related” drugs – demand for drugs that help with some of the chronic conditions associated with age (think obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, heart disease and the like) is almost certainly going to grow over the next several years. Wellness and prevention – as the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Good news for anyone in the business of making nutritional supplements, offering wellness therapy such as massage, chiro and acupuncture, or creating fitness programs for health-conscious retirees. Medical devices – our bodies are like any other machine: as time goes on, we need to replace some of the ‘parts’ that wear out. Companies in the business of making artificial knees and hips, hearing aids, dental implants and other devices likely have a very bright future ahead of them. Long-term care – many of us look forward to aging in our homes. Some of us, however, will need to hire home-care nurses to do so, or will enter dedicated, long-term care facilities as we become more frail. Companies offering such care might be an intriguing investment in the years to come. CSANews | FALL 2024 | 29
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