The most-read stories on Inavate in 2025 don’t point to a single dominant technology or market shift. Instead, they trace a year in which readers repeatedly gravitated towards moments where AV crossed a threshold, from future promise to plausible reality, from novelty to application.
Again and again, the stories that resonated most were those that hinted at what AV is becoming, rather than what it already is.
That sense of anticipation was clear from the outset. Early in the year, attention focused on Omdia’s forecast that the microLED market could reach 34.6 million units by 2031. The appeal wasn’t just the scale of the prediction, but the way it reframed microLED’s role: not as an immediate replacement for existing display technologies, but as a slow-burning enabler for XR, wearables, and ultra-compact displays.
Speculation about what enables future AV systems didn’t stop at displays. February’s widely read piece on a rechargeable paper battery, developed by US startup Flint, showed strong interest in technologies that sit one step removed from AV, but could ultimately reshape it. A battery claiming energy density on par with lithium-ion, while avoiding materials like cobalt and lithium altogether, speaks directly to the long-term feasibility of wearables, sensors, and distributed AV interfaces. It was a reminder that power, not processing, may become the next major bottleneck.
By spring, the focus had shifted to AV’s physical presence in the built environment. One of the year’s standout stories was Gauzy’s installation of what it described as one of the world’s largest transparent displays at the MSC Miami Cruise Terminal. Here, smart glass wasn’t used for advertising alone, but to transform the building’s façade into a data-driven artwork, visualising real-time NOAA weather information after dark. The popularity of the story reflected growing interest in architectural and civic applications of display technology.
At the same time, readers were paying close attention to how AV was reshaping workplaces. Coverage of GSK’s collaboration with PTS on a “smart and healthy” London office stood out because it grounded the smart building conversation in measurable outcomes. Sensor networks, air quality monitoring, occupancy data, and adaptive soundscapes were presented not as abstract ideas, but as tools to support wellbeing and productivity. It signalled a shift away from gadget-led narratives towards systems thinking.
Presence, and how to improve it, became a recurring thread as the year progressed. HP and Google’s collaboration on holographic videoconferencing captured imaginations by promising something beyond the flat video grid, using depth capture and spatial rendering to recreate face-to-face interaction without headsets. This wasn’t pitched as a futuristic experiment, but as a solution designed to integrate with existing meeting platforms, hinting at how immersive communication could realistically enter the workplace.
The same desire to reduce distance surfaced in more experimental territory too. July’s most-read story on a wearable haptic system developed by the University of Southern California explored how touch could be transmitted remotely in VR environments. While still firmly in the research phase, the technology resonated because of its human motivation, enabling emotional connection across physical separation, rather than simply adding another sensory layer.
August brought one of the year’s most striking examples of AV crossing into public life: Seoul’s deployment of holographic police officers to deter crime. The story attracted attention not just for its novelty, but for its reported impact, with authorities claiming a reduction in criminal activity in the areas where the holograms were installed. It raised broader questions about how projection, presence, and perception intersect, and how AV technologies are increasingly being used to influence behaviour in public spaces.
Smaller-scale interaction also captured reader interest. October’s coverage of an ultra-low-power wearable ring that functions as a wireless mouse for AR glasses highlighted a quieter but equally important trend: control. As immersive and wearable technologies develop, the success of these systems may hinge less on display quality and more on how naturally users can interact with them.
Alongside technology, the people shaping the industry remained firmly in focus. News of Joe Pham stepping down as chairman and CEO of QSC drew strong readership, reflecting awareness that leadership changes can have long-term implications for product strategy and market direction. Talent and recognition also mattered, with the return of Inavate EMEA’s 40 Under 40 and the reveal of the Inavation Awards finalists both ranking highly, moments where the industry paused to reflect on who is driving progress, and how innovation is being defined.
It is perhaps telling, then, that the final most-read story of the year focused not on technology at all, but on people. December’s coverage of potential redundancies at Exertis UK resonated because it addressed uncertainty head-on, outlining what was known, what remained unclear, and the consultation process ahead. While undeniably sobering, its prominence speaks to an industry that remains deeply connected to its workforce and aware that change carries human consequences.
Taken together, 2025’s most-read stories paint a picture of an AV sector in transition. One that is still excited by breakthrough technologies, but increasingly concerned with how those technologies are powered, controlled, deployed, and experienced… and by whom.
It’s a narrative defined less by hype, and more by intent.