Industry 5.0, CES 2025 and More: Recent Technology News Trends 

A look at the technology industry news from PR Newswire in November and December that you might have missed.

By Sherly J Victor | Published Jan. 7, 2025

The technology industry never stops. It is always evolving and moving with new advancements and new avenues for exploring and probing deeper into. Things have changed so much that the pre-learned definitions in the world of tech have changed, not just for IT professionals but also for tech enthusiasts and consumers. Given the variety of advancements being announced, we know it can be difficult to keep up.

PR Newswire distributed over 8,000 tech-related press releases in November and December. In this post, we'll cover some of the most-read announcements of the last two months and delve into some of the biggest trends. While we agree that AI is not going away anytime soon, we would like to focus on some of the other emerging trends that are making headlines in the business technology sector.

Popular Business Technology Releases

In November and December, these tech stories garnered a lot of attention on prnewswire.com:

• Honeywell and Bombardier Sign Landmark Agreement to Deliver the Next Generation of Aviation Technology; Honeywell Updates 2024 Outlook
• CleanSpark Comments on Trading Halt Related to Clerical Warrant Conversion Error
• Donald J. Trump-Inspired World Liberty Financial Adopts the Chainlink Standard To Accelerate the Mass Adoption of DeFi
• H.I.G. Capital and Thoma Bravo to Acquire CompTIA Brand and Products
• FTX Announces Effective Date and Record Date of January 3, 2025, for its Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization

Business Technology News Trends

Here’s a look at a few of the trends we noticed among technology-related press releases in November and December, with a few examples of each.

CES 2025

CES 2025 is officially here and it's bringing all the tech giants under one roof. This year's event focuses on practical innovation and the technology industry's global innovators are making headlines at one of the biggest tech trade shows.

As expected, AI is at the forefront of it all with automotive technology, robotics and smart home products also on display. And as always, PR Newswire has front-row updates from the event and CES 2025 announcements that will shape the industry trends for the rest of the year.

CES press releases have been crossing the wire for months and include these unique headlines from November and December:

• CES 2025: viaim Unveils Smart Office Tools RecDot and NoteKit with Exclusive Limited-Time Early Access
• LG's "Hybrid AI" gram Laptops Offer the Best of Both Worlds with On-Device and Cloud AI Services
• Yaber Achieves 100% YOY Sales Growth during Black Friday and Gears Up for CES 2025
• Inkan.link Debuts at CES 2025 with Revolutionary Anti-Fraud Solution as Business Email Compromise Reaches $5B Annual Loss
• Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X Corp, to Keynote CES 2025

Industry 5.0: The Human-First Curve

The term Industry 4.0 was coined in 2011. It brought a major change to the world of technology with the introduction of cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, autonomous robots, VR/AR, blockchain, etc.

More than a decade later, these advances have paved the way for Industry 5.0, which is a sociotechnical transformation. This social and holistic approach "reflects a shift from a focus on economic value to a focus on societal value, and a shift in focus from welfare to wellbeing." (Forbes)

Adding human skills and creativity to the mix, Industry 5.0 aims to create a more sustainable and ethical production system. Instead of being a chronological continuation of Industry 4.0, Industry 5.0 is a move to balance economic development while addressing societal and environmental problems.

Here are a few releases that focus on the Industry 5.0 trend from November and December:

• Oxipital AI Partners with Stäubli Robotics
• Dot Ai and Würth Industry North America Announce Exclusive Partnership to Deploy Dot Ai's AI-Driven Tracking Solutions for the Manufacturing Industry
• Kennedy Robotics AI Joins Cyngn's Dealer Network and Will Begin Selling DriveMod Tuggers
• Mouser Electronics Examines the Human-Centric Revolution of Industry 5.0

Boom of BNPL Companies

The BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) market is expected to grow from $39.65 billion in 2024 to $435.20 billion by 2033. The simplicity, convenience and flexibility of the technology seem to have won the hearts of consumers, and it appears to be here to stay. 

Consumers are striving to avoid complex financial jargon and burdensome debts and BNPL companies have cashed in on this sentiment quite cleverly with a straightforward approach. Many fintech startups are entering the stage and established entities are also jumping on the bandwagon, leading to the meteoric rise of BNPL options.

Here are a few releases that focus on the BNPL trend from November and December:

• equipifi and Synergent Announce Partnership to Expand Credit Union Access to Buy Now, Pay Later Platform
• MODIFI Secures Strategic Investment from SMBC Asia Rising Fund to fuel Asian exports by SMEs
• Nearly 40% of Shoppers Plan to "Treat Themselves" Using Pay Later Options This Holiday Season, New Splitit Study Finds
• BluPeak Credit Union Launches Innovative BNPL Solution, First in San Diego

Climate Tech: Advancing Beyond Renewables

The climate technology market has grown significantly and every industry is pulling its weight, including the tech industry, which is moving beyond a focus on just renewable energy.

The new phase, Climate Tech 2.0, includes a set of diverse solutions such as sustainable agriculture, carbon capture, circular economy practices, green hydrogen, etc. Renewable energy is no longer considered enough when it comes to tackling the intensifying climate crisis. Thus, companies are going out of their way to invest in and develop more climate technology solutions as cleaner alternatives for fossil fuels.

Here are a few releases that focus on this trend from November and December:

• Deep Sky Secures $40M Grant from Breakthrough Energy Catalyst to Scale Direct Air Capture
• Frontier Carbon Solutions Announces Expected Offering of CO2 Removal Credits in Connection with Carbon Capture & Storage Project
• Lummus and Advanced Ionics Establish Partnership for Green Hydrogen
• OnStream Receives $26 Million in Federal Funding for Louisiana Offshore Carbon Storage Hub Development and Announces Joint Venture Partnership with Major Midstream Company

Takeaways

The AI bubble is still a major part of 2025 as new avenues and applications are explored. It will be fun to watch where investors, innovators and IT professionals take it from here. And just like AI, it seems the Industry 5.0 ideology is going to dictate the way forward for the industry. While every innovation and trend comes with its own set of challenges, only time will tell how these markets will pan out and reshape the way businesses think. 

About the Author

Sherly J Victor is a Customer Content Specialist at PR Newswire. She holds a Masters in Journalism and Mass Communication and has been with the company for the past 2.5 years. In her spare time, she enjoys writing poetry, reading and watching documentaries.