So why is this here in Science and Technology? It potentially has to do with two technologies HP has. First is it's printing tech that could turn factories into giant printers, a huge potential profit base right there but more importantly is the second technology that could revolutionize medical treatment. One of the biggest if not the largest factor in high medical costs are pharmaceuticals, Microfluidics technology could change all of that.
Is Icahn Attempting a Hostile Takeover of HP? Figuring Out the Backstory | Tech Buzz | TechNewsWorld
This last has massive potential if you understand that blended medications -- or, more accurately, the steep prices associated with them -- are a big contributor to excessive medical costs. Further, it's currently not easy to match medications with each patient's unique body.
With the proper sensors, HP's microfluidics technology could do both. It could blend low-cost medications in place, potentially at a fraction of the cost of preblending them, and it could administer exactly the right amount of medicine for a patient's unique requirements. That could remove much of the cost of the medications -- think chemotherapy for instance -- and virtually eliminate overdoses and massively reduce addiction.
This isn't potentially a million dollar or even billion dollar technology -- it is a trillion dollar technology. Once applied, it has the potential to make HP the most valuable company in the world. Given this is already in lab use, in production, this isn't as far out as you might think.
Is Icahn Attempting a Hostile Takeover of HP? Figuring Out the Backstory | Tech Buzz | TechNewsWorld