According to a new market intelligence report by BIS Research, the global smart farming market is expected to reach $23.14 billion by 2022, rising at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.3% from 2017 to 2022.

The market growth is primarily attributed to the increasing demand for higher crop yield, the growing penetration of information and communication technology (ICT) in farming, and the increasing need for climate-smart agriculture.

According to a new market research report by BIS Research, the global aquaponics & hydroponics systems and equipment market is expected to reach $1.98 billion by 2022. Compared to traditional agricultural and aquaculture practices, aquaponics and hydroponics systems help enhance productivity with minimum inputs.

According to a new market research report by BIS Research titled Global Automotive Regenerative Braking System Market - Analysis and Forecast: 2017–2026, the global regenerative braking system (RBS) market is expected to reach a value of $24.52 billion by 2026.

The electronics industry is extremely dynamic as technologies, materials, and business models are continuously restructured to meet evolving consumer demand. The demand for miniaturized (i.e., smaller, lighter, and thinner electronics products), improved connectivity and computing power, faster data speeds, and most importantly, sustainability, is encouraging innovations in this industry.

The International Data Corporation (IDC) FutureScape series provides clear predictions and expert insights to help technology suppliers, investors, IT professionals, and business executives strategize for the future.

Eight of these studies are highlighted below which cover a variety of areas undergoing transformative change including oil and gas, robotics, 3D printing, retail, connected vehicles, and more. Read on to learn about IDC’s 2017 predictions, and click to the report pages to access more detailed information.

The US airline industry features three types of carriers in terms of operating model: traditional carriers, low-cost carriers (LCCs), and ultra-low-cost carriers (ULCCs). ULCCs – largely represented by Spirit Airlines (Spirit), Frontier Airlines, and Allegiant Travel Company (Allegiant) – experienced impressive revenue growth over the 2010-2015 period.

In the US, the majority of trucks are powered by soybeans. Sort of. Under its Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a target of 2.0 billion gallons of biomass-based diesel in the US diesel supply for 2017 – a 16% increase over 2015 levels. Soybean-derived biodiesel represents the predominant type of this renewable fuel.

But another type of biomass-based diesel – renewable diesel – is experiencing vigorous growth in demand due to a confluence of EPA mandates, rising distillate fuel consumption, and performance advantages.

The past decade has been an exhilarating ride for producers of frac sand, or silica sand used in hydraulic fracturing. North American shale oil and gas production has surged since 2010, bringing tremendous opportunities to the previously quiet silica sand industry. In 2014, the market for frac sand in North America was 20 times larger than it was a decade earlier, according to a recent study published by The Freedonia Group.

But for every boom, there is a bust. In late 2014, consumption began to decline as oil and gas prices plummeted across the world. Now, instead of embarking on ambitious expansions, frac sand suppliers have idled production and mining operations. The stock price of Fairmount Santrol, the US’s largest frac sand producer, dropped from $16.98 at the time of its IPO in 2014 to a low of $1.23 in January 2016.

In October 2016, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that provinces must develop a plan to reduce carbon emissions by 2018 or face a C$10 tax per ton of emissions. This figure would increase by C$10 per ton each year until 2022, when emissions would be priced at C$50 per ton. This tax will only be imposed if provincial leaders fail to come up with a plan to limit emissions of their own.

The new carbon pricing scheme is part of the government’s effort to comply with the Paris agreement. Signed earlier this year, the agreement aims to limit the global temperature increase this century to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. While further reductions will be needed for Canada to fully comply with its international commitment, the proposed carbon pricing scheme is seen as an important first step.

While food is historically known as one of the major uses for salt, the advent of chlorine and synthetic soda ash manufacture in the late nineteenth century and the use of salt for road deicing in the mid-twentieth century changed the importance of the food processing market.

Chemical manufacturing now is by far the largest outlet for salt, accounting for three-fifths of 2015 global consumption. Road deicing is the second largest share of world salt demand, followed by the food processing and livestock segments. Among other applications, water treatment and pharmaceutical manufacturing account for significant shares of salt consumption.