Trend Alerts
Technology Trends
What are the potential gains and potential risks from future technologies?
Health Futures
How do we convert this virus crisis into an opportunity to become more resilient to widespread health shocks?
Human Rights Outlook
Climate change, technological advances and unprecedented levels of inequality could mean that global disruption becomes a norm in the coming decades.
Travel and Tourism Outlook
The UN projects a 20-30% decline in international tourist arrivals in 2020. This could put up to 50 million jobs at risk, with Asia likely to be the most affected continent. But will the good old days of tourism and travel return next year?
Life after COVID-19
The social and economic toll is great, but there could be a silver lining: Billions of minds around the world are being forced to think differently, paving the way for new solutions to major global problems. Read on to discover how.
Future Threats
How can AI be used responsibility to secure cyberspace, and what policies and regulations need to be developed to manage and mitigate the potential threats?
Business Prospects
Will we see an increased demand from boards of companies (listed and non-listed) to use good risk management to help them plot a path forward for a purposeful and sustainable strategy?
Employment Prospects
As CEOs, investors and policy makers spend time with their families at home while considering our future, is now the time when long-term, sustainable decision-making will finally trump all else?
Economic Outlook
Failure of climate change mitigation could lead to greater human life and economic losses over the coming decades. But, this year CO2 emissions could fall by the largest amount since WWII as the coronavirus outbreak brings economies to a virtual s...
Coronavirus Outlook
The simulation models predict that by the end of the year nearly 67% of the world's population will have been infected by the coronavirus at some point.
Future Opportunities
Digital transformation is a strategic priority for most global companies and will open new revenue opportunities. We suggest that digital transformation should be a priority and a big opportunity for most SMEs too. There will be long tails and man...
Consumption Futures
The United Nations forecasts that the global population will reach 9.7 billion by 2050, and that this will be accompanied by continued urbanisation and changing consumer preferences.
Global Outlook
Up to 800 million workers will lose their jobs globally by 2030 and be replaced by robotic automation. Also, geopolitical realignments, emerging technologies and demographic shifts will all contribute to different manifestations of ideologically a...
Social Futures
One billion people will be displaced from uninhabitable land and food and water shortages will occur worldwide, leading to social breakdown and outright chaos. Over the next ten years, the world of work is set to rapidly change.
Human Futures
Without a fundamental change in direction, climate change will be irreversible, inflicting disastrous effects on the planet and humanity
Manufacturing Futures
Up to 20 million manufacturing jobs around the world could be replaced by robots by 2030, with each new robot erasing 1.6 jobs.
Blockchain Outlook
Machine learning, biotechnology and blockchain technology will change the world in the coming decades, making it an ever safer, more rational and business-friendly place.
Disrupted Futures
Driving forces: Over the next 10 years the world of work is set to rapidly change, with the World Economic Forum predicting that disruptive changes to business models will have a profound impact on the employment landscape.
The Future of Travel
Travel and tourism is expected to contribute an average 9 million new jobs per year to 2028 and representing around one quarter of total global net job creation.
Work Futures Revisited
By 2022, 42.5% of the global workforce will be mobile - able to work remotely from anywhere in the world. And, between 75 million and 375 million individuals (3-14% of the global workforce) could be forced to switch occupational categories by 2030...
ASEAN 2030
A Trend Alert to be presented at ASEAN 2030 by our Founder, Dr Michael Jackson. Do come to this great conference.
Thought for Food
The world's population is expected to rise to 9.8 billion by 2050, requiring a 70% increase in food production that will need to be achieved with a limited number of hectares of arable land and in a context of accelerated land and soil degradation.
Sustainable Futures
With the increased chatter and focus surrounding sustainability, brands have an opportunity to develop innovative sustainable products. Read to discover what our robot, Athena, has found on Sustainable Futures and act accordingly, or click any lin...
Recessionary Signals?
The World Bank has added its voice to those warning of a worsening outlook for the global economy this year, amid signs that some major economies could experience a recession. While the risk of a full-blown international recession next year with p...
Social Futures
This Trend Alert is written in association with the conference on CONSTRUCTING SOCIAL FUTURES – Sustainability, Responsibility and Power, taking place on 12–13 June 2019 in Turku, Finland at which we will be presenting. A few tickets still availa...
Political Outlook
An increasing number of pitfalls, such as escalating political risk, the high volatility of commodity prices and supply constraints, began to slow world growth in late 2018 and cast a shadow over the outlook for 2019.
Machine Futures
Machine learning will be the biggest and fastest-growing trend in technology again in 2019, threatening every laggard organization and offering rich prizes for the leaders, big and small. Read to discover what our robot, Athena, has found on the f...
Wearable Forecasts
Currently 1-in-5 adults wears a smartwatch or fitness strap and by 2020, the wearable tech market will be worth €30bn globally - proving that this market is one to watch.
Plastic Futures
The scale of the plastic waste issue is getting worse not better, with the production of plastics expected to double over the next decade. Yet efforts are being made to reduce or ban plastic in many parts of our lives by danger-aware and innovativ...
Lifestyle Futures
In the coming decade, changing lifestyles, economic volatility and infrastructure issues are just a few of the trends that will influence where and how people choose to live. Discover what our robot, Athena, thinks lifestyle futures could be, act ...