It’s a difficult question to ponder as the state of the world economy is so fragile. Right now, GDP growth stems exclusively from the government’s stimulus package. But once Obama and his cronies are finished fixing the economy, what will the fuel the next leg of the recovery?

In the near term, we think the prospects for job growth look incredibly bleak. Banks aren’t lending. Companies aren’t hiring or investing heavily in R&D, and corporate profits are up only because of cost cutting measures, like layoffs, rather than bottom line revenue growth.

In the long term, however, certain industries look primed to blossom like plastics did in the 70s and semiconductors, personal PCs, and telecom did in the 80s and 90s. Barry Ritholtz at The Big Picture points out ten niche industries he thinks will fill in the gaps and push the world economy forward. Here are his top ten (listed in order