Published
08/02/2026, 16:14Whilst investors are trying to capitalise on artificial intelligence, analysts at the Eurasian Development Bank are already looking further ahead. Biotechnology, healthy ageing and robotics could become the next magnets for global capital.
It is precisely these sectors that the EBRD considers to be the most promising candidates for the next global investment boom. This is not a recommendation to buy specific shares, but rather a forecast of the sectors towards which large flows of capital may be directed in the coming years.
The global market has already experienced several such waves. In 2021, investors were captivated by digitalisation, cloud technologies and neural networks. In 2023, money flowed into projects related to ESG and sustainable development. Artificial intelligence became the main investment theme of 2025.
But technological trends do not simply replace one buzzword with another. Each wave lays the foundations for the next. Cloud technologies provided the infrastructure for neural networks; neural networks accelerated the development of AI; and artificial intelligence is now paving the way for robots, autonomous systems and new medical innovations.
Looking ahead to the next five years, the EABR identifies several promising areas:
Analysts are placing their main bets on biotechnology and robotics. The first sector promises new medicines, diagnostic methods and technologies for maintaining good health. The second has the potential to transform industry, logistics, agriculture and the service sector, partially offsetting labour shortages.
The longevity economy occupies a special place. An ageing population is gradually becoming a problem not only for individual families, but also for entire nations. The number of people of working age is declining, whilst expenditure on healthcare and social security is rising. Investment in long and healthy lives could enable citizens to remain active for longer and partially ease the pressure on the labour market.
Looking ten years ahead, space technology and virtual reality are also likely to attract capital. Looking ahead to 2050, the EDB anticipates growing interest in climate adaptation technologies and quantum computing.
There are also ‘wild cards’ – developments that are difficult to assess at present, but a single scientific breakthrough could instantly turn them into a new investment megatrend.
That said, the race towards the future carries obvious risks. Investment frenzy often inflates company valuations faster than their actual business grows, and ends in a crash. However, even after the bubble bursts, the infrastructure, technologies and specialists that have been built up remain – the foundation for a mature industry.
