Whether we’re talking about commercial real estate, renewable energy, or flexible electronics, agility has been and will be critical to the Bay Area’s success in several industries. For 2016, we’ve again assembled a team of experts to share their predictions. Read on for a preview of cleantech, advanced manufacturing, and collaborative work spaces this year. Curious about last year’s predictions? I’d say our experts were right on the money related to 2015 opportunities and challenges ranging from the drought, to intellectual property protection, to the maker movement.

Clint Wilder, senior editor at Clean Edge and director of cleantech at Green Bear Group & co-author of The Clean Tech Revolution: The Next BigGrowth and Investment Opportunity

2016 looks to be an excellent, even banner, year for cleantech, thanks in large part to two key developments atthe end of 2015. The international climate agreement signed in Paris in December is a landmark step in the transition to a clean energy economy, and will help grow global clean tech markets. In the U.S., the year-end extension of federal investment tax credits for solar and wind power (which many industry experts did not expect to happen) will maintain the already strong momentum in these sectors. Along with other key market levers that were already in place (such as California’s renewable energy target of 50 percent by 2030), these two year-end developments are extremely positive signs for the cleantech ecosystem, both locally and globally.

Gene Russell, President and CEO of The Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence (Manex)

Advanced manufacturing is poised for further growth throughout Northern California, particularly in the areas of flexible electronics, rapid prototyping, pharmaceutical and medical, printed electronics, additive and flexible manufacturing, semiconductors, advanced sensing, information technologies, smart automation, lightweight materials, and many others. These technologies are being driven by the entrepreneurial environment, educational institutions, our federal labs, and public-private partnerships, such as the one in flexible electronics.Through an Obama administration initiative, the Nationwide Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI), a five-year grant has been awarded to the FlexTech Alliance, based in San Jose, California. This is a very exciting development for the advanced manufacturing sector. Also the Bay Area Advanced Manufacturing coalition (BAAM) in San Leandro is the largest assortment of 3D printing companies under one roof. The Bay Area is rich in Advanced Manufacturing assets, and the future definitely looks bright.

Jeremy Neuner, co-author of The Rise of the Naked Economy

2016 will continue to see an explosion in the number of coworking spaces, collaboration spaces, and other on-demand workplaces. Why? Simple: workers will continue to vote with their feet, opting for the increased flexibility that freelancing, independent consulting, and other contingent work offers. Employers are also catching on, realizing that hiring contingent or “agile” talent is a great way to keep headcount low, engage with expert talent, and rapidly infuse their organizations with outside ideas. A recent article in Harvard Business Review suggested that 50 percent of global employers plan on increasing their use of agile talent in the coming year. This talent will demand a wide range of possible places to work: corporate campuses, coworking spaces, business centers, home offices, and any place with a comfy chair and a good Wi-Fi signal.