DOAR Blog Wearable Technology: Existing Growth Drivers and the Impact of COVID-19 on Innovation

By: Caroline Yu, Consulting Expert Litigation in the wearable technology market has been increasing in frequency and scope as the market has moved from niche early adopters to the broader consumer market. In 2018, the global wearables market was valued at $9 billion-the U.S. market accounting for 32% of it. The market is expected to grow to over $87 billion by 2025[i] with the most significant growth drivers to include technological advancements in wearable devices and digital health awareness. Data privacy and usability remain necessary design elements for designers and manufacturers looking to advance in the race for dominance. With the outbreak of COVID-19, what impact will the response by individuals, companies, or governments to public health crises have on the wearables market? Currently, wearables are mainly used for health/activity monitoring and mobile notifications. While these features augment a user's daily life, new use cases are being put into practice by governments to contain the spread of COVID-19. In the middle of March, Hong Kong required new arrivals to wear an electronic wristband and use a mobile application to enforce self-quarantine. For the tracking to work, the wristband had to connect to the mobile application...The post Wearable Technology: Existing Growth Drivers and the Impact of COVID-19 on Innovation appeared first on DOAR.