Top 10 Emerging Tech Trends to Watch in 2026

Juniper Research released its Top 10 Emerging Tech Trends report for 2026. It reveals how frontier technologies, such as post-quantum cryptography, neuromorphic computing, and physical AI, are expected to shape enterprise strategy and investment over the coming year.

Grounded in independent research and market evidence, the report cuts through industry hype to focus on technologies with credible paths to deployment and adoption. This year’s trends are:

1. Post-quantum Cryptography: Standardisation to Drive Hybrid Deployment Models;
2. Neuromorphic Computing: Commercial Chipsets That Address AI Bottlenecks to Launch in 2026;
3. Physical AI: Substantial Advances in Humanoid Robotics Expected in Next 3 Years;
4. Multi-agent Systems: Enterprises Invest in Domain-specific Agents;
5. Wireless EV Charging: Accelerated Infrastructure Rollouts Drive Mass Adoption;
6. Counter-drone Technology: Growing Threats Necessitate New Technologies;
7. Microfluidics: to Receive Growing Interest as a Next-generation Cooling System for AI Chips;
8. Multi-cloud Models:2025 Outages Bring Focus on More Resilience in 2026;
9. Small Modular Reactors: Regulatory Approvals Open Potential Disruptive Impact on Energy Generation;
10. Open-source Smart Buildings: Interoperable Platforms Drive Market Growth Amidst Growing Energy Demand.

“Across security, compute, energy, and infrastructure, organisations are being forced to make real deployment decisions on technologies that were theoretical only a few years ago,” explained Molly Gatford, Senior Research Analyst at Juniper Research. “The challenge facing enterprises in 2026 will be how quickly they can adopt these technologies without increasing risk or complexity, and whether they have the organisational readiness to do so at scale.” Each trend is ranked by expected impact, with analysis explaining what will happen, why it is expected to happen, and why 2026 represents a critical point for adoption and deployment.