London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

The year of the vaccine: Top inventions and innovations of 2021

The year of the vaccine: Top inventions and innovations of 2021

Like the year before it, 2021 has been dominated by the global fight against coronavirus. But unlike 2020 when the pandemic first broke out, this year has seen a surge in innovations when it comes to battling COVID-19.

Governments and citizens have been largely pinning their hopes on the development of vaccines, which have been approved by health agencies and rolled out across the world this year.

While vaccines steal the limelight for 2021’s top innovations, we have seen many exciting developments in technology and science outside of the context of the pandemic. Here’s a look at the top innovations and inventions 2021 has brought us.

COVID vaccines
A vial of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine ready to be used at Swaminarayan School vaccination centre, in London


The speed with which coronavirus vaccines were developed, tested, and rolled out as the battle to contain coronavirus raged on has been hailed as one of the great scientific and social feats of the year.

The race to jab against COVID-19 saw mRNA vaccines approved for the first time in history, with Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines rolled out across much of the world.

MRNA vaccines work by introducing a messenger RNA molecule into the body, which causes cells to produce a protein that resembles one of the viral proteins in the virus it is intended to protect against.

Malaria vaccine
A health worker vaccinates a child against malaria in Homabay County, western Kenya


Incredibly, perhaps the biggest vaccine development of 2021 had nothing to do with the coronavirus pandemic.

Scientists celebrated the historic approval of a vaccine for malaria, an illness that the World Health Organization (WHO) said had killed 627,000 people in 2020, and infected an estimated 241 million people.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the approval was "a historic moment". The jab is only around 30 percent effective, but scientists hailed the moment as a "huge step forward".

Needle-free COVID jab
A new COVID-19 vaccine that can be administered without needles is being trialled at a university in the United Kingdom


Designed to ease the administration of COVID-19 vaccines, a needle-free inoculation is currently being tested in the UK.

The jab uses a jet of air that pushes the vaccine into the skin - which could provide an alternative for those with needle-phobia, the University of Southampton said.

The new coronavirus vaccine uses the University of Cambridge’s DIOSvax technology and could be scaled up and manufactured as a powder to boost global vaccination efforts if the trial proves successful.

COVID nasal spray


Another COVID-related innovation undergoing testing is a nasal spray designed to prevent COVID-19 infections.

"For the virus to enter the cell, it needs to undergo certain very specific chemical reactions," explained Rakesh Uppal, the chairman of Raphael Labs which is developing the spray.

"We've been able to find a way to manipulate that chemical reaction, and therefore stop the virus from entering, and it's fundamental to that virus," he said, adding that it appears effective no matter what strain of coronavirus it meets.

Bo.by incubator device for premature babies
The Bo.by device gives premature babies the feeling of touch and attention from a parent


The Bo.by device, developed at the Kunstuniversitat Linz university in Austria, helps premature babies have a sensory-rich bonding experience with their parents in situations when actual contact is not possible.

This could be due to their medical condition, hospital policy, or a pandemic or other issues.

Bo.by is a set of two wirelessly connected devices, one for the parent and the other a baby mattress inside the incubator.

Each device has sensors enabling collecting and sending data to the other, picking up touch, breast movement, vibration, heartbeat, body heat or smell. It means both parent and baby can experience indirect touch with the other.

Hands-free shoes


Hands-free shoes are growing in popularity, with more companies developing footwear that allows people with certain disabilities - or anyone who doesn’t have their hands free - to slip them on without any trouble.

In 2021, Nike launched its GO FlyEase trainer, which has a hinge enabling it to open and close, allowing the user to put them on without the use of their hands.

Wind-powered street lamps


With the challenge of meeting the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, our societies need to find ways to reduce our emissions in all facets of life.

One bright idea that’s been developed this year is a wind-powered street lamp.


Papilio is a lamp post with an integrated wind turbine that makes renewable energy and only lights up when needed.

This cuts not only emissions, but also light pollution. It has been tested at numerous locations in Berlin, and its creator says it easily produces enough renewable energy to light up.

Selfie stick camera that fits in your pocket
The IQUI 360 degree camera


Travel may be disrupted for the foreseeable as the world deals with the Omicron COVID-19 variant, but for those that like taking selfies at home or abroad, the selfie stick had a modern update this year.

The IQUI offers 360-degree photos and videos with its four lenses, and a stand that lets you take pictures from all sorts of positions.

Three of the lenses shoot horizontally, and another points straight up, all on a thin 5.5 inch stick.

Mustang Micro guitar amp
The Fender Mustang Micro


One problem with playing the electric guitar is that in most cases a hefty amp is needed to be plugged in to create the required sound.

Now Fender has perhaps offered a way around lugging an amp to wherever you want to play, by producing one that could fit in a jacket pocket.

It simply plugs into the guitar, and with a pair of headphones you can jam away to 12 amp tones and 12 effects.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
×