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A list of the 10 most important technological challenges that will face industry during the next decade is provided.

A team of scientists and researchers at Battelle, a research-and-development organization in Columbus, OH, has compiled a list of the 10 most important technological challenges that will face industry during the next decade.

"These are market-driven challenges for industry, and anytime the marketplace challenges us, that's a tremendous opportunity for business growth and profitability. Global market forces are opening up these new opportunities, and they're driving the development of new technology and products," said Stephen Millet, manager of Battelle's Breakthrough Center.

The top 10 market-driven challenges are:

* Personalized consumer products-consumers are increasingly better informed and harder to please. They will buy products that satisfy their own tastes, rather than accept whatever stores present. Products in the future will have to be almost as varied as individual customers. This means that companies will have to be even more consumerdriven in designing and marketing their products. It will also require that sensors, controls, and computers be able to achieve highly flexible manufacturing to produce these customized products.

"The mass production of identical products is being replaced by the flexible production of individualized products. Getting into the head of consumers, really understanding their motivations and behavior patterns rather than just their expressed desires, is the great challenge of consumer-product development for the next decade," Millett said.

* Human interfaces-as intermediaries between humans and machines, interfaces, such as software menus, need to go the step beyond "user friendly." Future successful technology-based products and services will be pleasing to the senses, more or less intuitively obvious, safe to use, and fun.

* Global business competition-technology has become a global commodity, which is developed, traded, sold, and marketed in every corner of the world. To achieve business growth in this environment, companies will have to improve and expand their efforts at finding technology, acquiring it, and putting it to work around the world. They must use this new technology to improve efficiency, reduce waste and energy needs, and create new products and services. "The great challenge will be to use technology for growth and profitability. Controlling technology will be the competitive edge of the future," Millett said.

* Protecting the environment and natural resources-further growth needs to come from the smart management of remaining resources and our ability to use alternatives. The challenges will range from expanding and simplifying recycling programs to developing clean manufacturing processes.

* Mobile energy-in addition to alternative-fuel systems for cars, companies need more flexible energy and power choices so that they can meet the needs of people who are becoming more mobile in their extended travel for business and pleasure.

* Convergence of technology in the home-increasingly, the home will be a place for us to work, shop, get an education, and enjoy entertainment. With more choices, the challenge will be to converge telecommunications, entertainment, networking, education-information access, and computing power.

* Affordable, home-based health care-increasing home health care will help contain rising costs while serving an aging population and will provide people with convenience and privacy.

* Micro security-people will be more concerned with their personal safety and guarding their homes and communities vs. monitoring and protecting national borders.

* Renewed infrastructure-more developed countries need to update their transportation, bridges, water, and sewage systems, while less-developed countries don't have advanced infrastructures. This requires new materials and construction methods to keep costs down.

* Nutritional health-the focus will be on engineering natural foods that will be packed with more vitamins, protein, and other nutrients, especially for the rapidly growing populations in poor countries.