Perspective

In times past, scientists who theorized about a future influenced by technology were often considered rogue in their thinking. However, in today’s society, it’s hard to deny the increasing presence of science and technology in our daily lives. Recent statistics evidence the growth of technology with figures such as for every minute, more than 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube, and every day, Google handles more than one billion search queries.

In this issue, our Super Floral staff looked to discover how the role of technology has grown in the floral industry. We spoke with innovative companies whose temperature-monitoring devices are helping to extend the life of floral products in transport. We also learned more about the influence of automation and the future of ocean shipping, as well as the effects of gene-editing tools on the future of flower breeding. Although, with as much as we learned through our research, we also learned there’s still more to explore within the topic of technology and flowers.

On a personal note, just as my role at Super Floral has recently changed from assignment editor to editor of the magazine, our much-loved floral industry is also experiencing its fair share of change as well. When asked to comment on the future of technology, physicist Edward Teller once said, “The science of today is the technology of tomorrow.” Applying this comment to the floral industry, he couldn’t have been more correct.

As we look to the future, science and technology are predicted to continue their increase within the floral industry. With this in mind, I invite all of you to weather this forecast with me. Together, we can experience all that is yet to come, and work to ensure the digital benefits of tomorrow last for many years beyond today.