UNH Today

As the new year begins, industries are bracing for transformative changes driven by innovation, sustainability and emerging technologies. Experts from the University of New Hampshire are offering forward-looking insights into what’s next for sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, space, climate change and the economy. From food as medicine to in-space manufacturing to stock market trends, these insights provide a roadmap for businesses, policymakers and communities to navigate the opportunities and challenges of the year ahead.

AGRICULTURE
ANTON BEKKERMAN, DIRECTOR OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE AGRICULTUREAL EXPERIMENT STATION

Food as medicine could become a mainstream topic in 2025, playing a significant role in helping address chronic diseases, especially as national policy priorities align with changing leadership in the incoming administration. It’s a concept that has been growing in attention and scientific backing, which could result in federal investments moving toward research and engagement to determine the benefits and drawbacks — looking at food as a significant contributor to treating and preventing illnesses.  

AI is also going to be big in 2025 — that is, agricultural intelligence — encompassing everything from increasing advanced and precision technologies, robotics and the use of machinery in innovative ways, to the knowledge that it takes for food producers and food suppliers to grow and deliver to consumers. Labor availability remains a top issue for the U.S. agricultural and food industries, and it could become an even more acute challenge in 2025. To overcome this challenge, agricultural intelligence will need to have a big year to ensure that the nation remains food secure. If labor shortages become a particular impediment to the U.S. food system, we could see significant private and public investment into research and training and much more rapid adoption of innovative technologies that aid practices that have traditionally relied on large labor forces — growing, protecting, harvesting, storing and distributing food across the country and world.

MANUFACTURING
BRAD KINSEY, ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR RESEARCH, COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES

Biomanufacturing will see more growth over the next several decades as technological advancements continue. New opportunities within the health care system will be created, e.g., tissue engineering, enabling researchers to take human cells and grow human organs, benefiting patients in need of organ transplants. 

Additionally, in-space manufacturing will continue to advance in the coming years. The International Space Station has already facilitated manufacturing initiatives, and future developments will address how components can be produced in space, considering the differing environmental factors and the effects on the component’s durability. The issue of sustainability of space manufacturing will also be a key focus point as it continues, e.g., addressing space debris.

Finally, artificial intelligence will create more opportunities in data and analytics across manufacturing. By collecting data from manufacturing processes, AI will analyze and detect trends to help identify any potential defects or issues that can be created in typical production. This ability to refine processes through collected data will help improve accuracy and efficiency as manufacturing progresses into the future. 

SPACE
RÉKA WINSLOW, DIRECTOR OF SPACE TECHNOLOGY HUB

With the anticipated change in NASA leadership and the start of a new presidential administration, NASA will increasingly outsource operational, launch and technology development activities to NewSpace companies in 2025. This shift will accelerate commercial sector growth in the U.S. NewSpace industry and redirect funding away from traditional major prime contractors.

We will also see expanded commercial activities focused on lunar landing and exploration, driven by funding from programs like ARTEMIS and CLPS, as well as growing international interest in establishing a sustained human and robotic presence on the moon. Overall, in the next year we can expect significant growth in commercial space efforts driven by international players like China, the EU and India. There will also be an increase in satellite direct-to-phone connectivity options, with both AST SpaceMobile and Lynk Global competing alongside SpaceX Starlink in this arena.

The recent success of Astroscale’s ADRAS-J mission, which conducted close approach maneuvers with a large piece of space debris, will pave the way for future missions aimed at active debris removal in 2025. This mission set a critical precedent for addressing the growing threat of space debris to operational satellites and is likely to encourage other companies to develop similar capabilities. At the same time, satellite operators should continue prioritizing clear end-of-life plans for satellite deorbiting to avoid contributing to the already significant space debris problem.

More companies and governments have satellites in the Earth observation industry or are using data and insights from such assets (including the insurance and housing market). Oil and gas companies and governments are relying on data from satellite constellations, such as GHGSat to provide information on methane leaks, thereby monitoring greenhouse gas emissions. Muon’s FireSat constellation, designed to detect wildfires and set to launch in early 2025, promises to provide real-time data to emergency responders, helping to protect communities. We should expect significant changes in space and climate monitoring in 2025, with a lot more companies providing expanded services in the Earth observation sector.

ECONOMY
STEVE CICCONE, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, PETER T. PAUL COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

Since 1980, the stock market has outperformed in the year following a presidential election. That trend will continue in 2025 and the stock market will remain strong­, despite recent downturns, reflecting a robust macroeconomic environment and helping to maintain and even lowering interest rates. Some of the factors that could impact the stock market include the new policy of an incoming administration, interest rates and tariffs. The market responded enthusiastically to President-elect Trump’s election win but it’s important to recognize that the market is influenced by a wide range of factors, many of which are unrelated to who is in the Oval Office.

Interest rates will continue to decline, but only slightly. Inflation concerns remain, which will have the Federal Reserve refrain from making deep cuts to short-term interest rates. One of those inflation unknowns is potential new tariffs on products coming into the U.S. Those tariffs would raise prices and could increase inflation. However, many economists believe tariffs, which can be complicated, have little impact on inflation. It is also worth noting that tariffs have been in place on products from China, the largest importer into the U.S., for the past several years. They were initially imposed by the first Trump administration and maintained and increased by the Biden administration.

CLIMATE CHANGE
ELIZABETH BURAKOWSKI, RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF EARTH, OCEANS AND SPACE

Recent studies show that winter is the fastest warming season east of the Mississippi River since the 1970s and New England is a winter warming hotspot. Data shows that last year was the warmest year on record in several New England states, including New Hampshire, and 2025 may not be much different. While the idea of warmer winters may be appealing to some, the cold and snow are critical for everything from environmental ecosystems to growing seasons and even winter recreation like skiing.

Our research on the impact of emissions, or greenhouse gases, on snowfall, shows that at the current rate at which humans burn fossil fuels, we can expect even more snow loss in the future. That means fewer days with snowfall and less accumulated snowpack to support winter recreation like skiing, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing — a vital multi-million dollar industry in the Northeast. Less snow also impacts animal habitats that depend on the snow for protection and insulation. However, I remain optimistic about continued efforts to reduce emissions and protect winter for future generations.