Foresight

Active Elderly

Active Elderly

A wealthier, healthier older generation increasingly want and engage in…

A wealthier, healthier older generation increasingly want and engage in…

A wealthier, healthier older generation increasingly want and engage in leading more active lives, taking up new sports, having third-generation…

A wealthier, healthier older generation increasingly want and engage in leading more active lives, taking up new sports, having third-generation careers and becoming more politically involved According to the World…

A wealthier, healthier older generation increasingly want and engage in leading more active lives, taking up new sports, having third-generation careers and becoming more politically involved According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), by 2020 there will be over a…

Foresight

Almost Zero Waste

Almost Zero Waste

Escalating waste production and new attitudes, approaches, regulation and business…

Escalating waste production and new attitudes, approaches, regulation and business…

Escalating waste production and new attitudes, approaches, regulation and business models lead many to aim for an almost zero-waste society.…

Escalating waste production and new attitudes, approaches, regulation and business models lead many to aim for an almost zero-waste society. Some commentators predict that the amount of waste being generated…

Escalating waste production and new attitudes, approaches, regulation and business models lead many to aim for an almost zero-waste society. Some commentators predict that the amount of waste being generated will double over the next twenty years. This is due…

Foresight

Alternative Proteins

Alternative Proteins

The shift in global diet from rice to meat brings…

The shift in global diet from rice to meat brings…

The shift in global diet from rice to meat brings new sources of protein including lab-grown manufactured meats and high…

The shift in global diet from rice to meat brings new sources of protein including lab-grown manufactured meats and high protein vegetable combinations. One of the common challenges with rising…

The shift in global diet from rice to meat brings new sources of protein including lab-grown manufactured meats and high protein vegetable combinations. One of the common challenges with rising economic growth is that of increased resource consumption. As highlighted…

Foresight

Asian Aviation

Asian Aviation

Led by more tourists and steady growth in cargo transportation,…

Led by more tourists and steady growth in cargo transportation,…

Led by more tourists and steady growth in cargo transportation, Asian aviation places more orders and becomes the largest air…

Led by more tourists and steady growth in cargo transportation, Asian aviation places more orders and becomes the largest air market in the world. In terms of flying, we live…

Led by more tourists and steady growth in cargo transportation, Asian aviation places more orders and becomes the largest air market in the world. In terms of flying, we live in a world at a point of significant change: around…

Foresight

Automated people-care

Robotic assisted care and remote monitoring provide economically viable support…

Robotic assisted care and remote monitoring provide economically viable support…

Robotic assisted care and remote monitoring provide economically viable support for the sick and elderly so people can stay home…

Robotic assisted care and remote monitoring provide economically viable support for the sick and elderly so people can stay home for longer. One of the key challenges for healthcare providers…

Robotic assisted care and remote monitoring provide economically viable support for the sick and elderly so people can stay home for longer. One of the key challenges for healthcare providers is to provide ongoing medical support of the elderly and…

Foresight

Bio-surveillance

Bio-surveillance

Active gathering and interpretation of data related to threats to…

Active gathering and interpretation of data related to threats to…

Active gathering and interpretation of data related to threats to human and animal health delivers faster early warning and situational…

Active gathering and interpretation of data related to threats to human and animal health delivers faster early warning and situational awareness. In an era of increased globalization, public health and…

Active gathering and interpretation of data related to threats to human and animal health delivers faster early warning and situational awareness. In an era of increased globalization, public health and surveillance are playing an increased role in bio-security. Protecting us…

Foresight

Bridging The Last Mile

Bridging The Last Mile

Making public transport as flexible as private focuses attention on…

Making public transport as flexible as private focuses attention on…

Making public transport as flexible as private focuses attention on improving the last mile between multimodal hubs and the home/work…

Making public transport as flexible as private focuses attention on improving the last mile between multimodal hubs and the home/work destination. The concept of ‘the last mile’ came into common…

Making public transport as flexible as private focuses attention on improving the last mile between multimodal hubs and the home/work destination. The concept of ‘the last mile’ came into common language when telecommunications and cable television companies sought to deliver…

Foresight

Chinese Trains

Chinese Trains

China, the pacesetter for change in inter-urban transport, is investing…

China, the pacesetter for change in inter-urban transport, is investing…

China, the pacesetter for change in inter-urban transport, is investing over $1 trillion expanding its rail network to 120,000 km…

China, the pacesetter for change in inter-urban transport, is investing over $1 trillion expanding its rail network to 120,000 km by 2020. In a world where city-to-city, inter-urban transportation is…

China, the pacesetter for change in inter-urban transport, is investing over $1 trillion expanding its rail network to 120,000 km by 2020. In a world where city-to-city, inter-urban transportation is increasingly seen as the major growth area for mobility, competition…

Foresight

Clean Shipping

Clean Shipping

Under increasing pressure to improve efficiency, growing freight shipping adopts…

Under increasing pressure to improve efficiency, growing freight shipping adopts…

Under increasing pressure to improve efficiency, growing freight shipping adopts a range of alternative policies and power systems. Shipping already…

Under increasing pressure to improve efficiency, growing freight shipping adopts a range of alternative policies and power systems. Shipping already accounts for nearly 4.5% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions…

Under increasing pressure to improve efficiency, growing freight shipping adopts a range of alternative policies and power systems. Shipping already accounts for nearly 4.5% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and, as the volume of global trade continues to grow,…

Foresight

Clinical Enhancement

Clinical Enhancement

Enhanced functionality will shift from an external add-on to an…

Enhanced functionality will shift from an external add-on to an…

Enhanced functionality will shift from an external add-on to an integrated capability to provide the option for superhuman performance. A…

Enhanced functionality will shift from an external add-on to an integrated capability to provide the option for superhuman performance. A potentially controversial topic raised when looking at the future relates…

Enhanced functionality will shift from an external add-on to an integrated capability to provide the option for superhuman performance. A potentially controversial topic raised when looking at the future relates to the advances being made in replacement organs and limbs.…

Foresight

Cocktail Identities

Cocktail Identities

As the Millennials take over, the need to differentiate between…

As the Millennials take over, the need to differentiate between…

As the Millennials take over, the need to differentiate between the real and virtual disappears; who you are ceases to…

As the Millennials take over, the need to differentiate between the real and virtual disappears; who you are ceases to be defined by a singular identity and we each represent…

As the Millennials take over, the need to differentiate between the real and virtual disappears; who you are ceases to be defined by a singular identity and we each represent a multiple ‘cocktail identity’ portfolio. As the world becomes increasingly…

Foresight

Community Living

Community Living

In rural and urban environments, the community is a prized…

In rural and urban environments, the community is a prized…

In rural and urban environments, the community is a prized goal for the middle aged middle classes as they seek…

In rural and urban environments, the community is a prized goal for the middle aged middle classes as they seek to reconnect with ‘people like us’. In a number of…

In rural and urban environments, the community is a prized goal for the middle aged middle classes as they seek to reconnect with ‘people like us’. In a number of the Future Agenda events, the increasing (not decreasing) desire among…

Foresight

Corporate Lego

Corporate Lego

With more free agents and outsourcing, non-core functions within organisations…

With more free agents and outsourcing, non-core functions within organisations…

With more free agents and outsourcing, non-core functions within organisations are interchangeable and easily rebuilt around value-creating units. Organisations have…

With more free agents and outsourcing, non-core functions within organisations are interchangeable and easily rebuilt around value-creating units. Organisations have already started to be more permeable and flexible. Increasing use…

With more free agents and outsourcing, non-core functions within organisations are interchangeable and easily rebuilt around value-creating units. Organisations have already started to be more permeable and flexible. Increasing use of consultants, freelances and other temporary staff has blurred the…

Foresight

Credible Sources

Credible Sources

Greater information overload moves our focus from simply accessing data…

Greater information overload moves our focus from simply accessing data…

Greater information overload moves our focus from simply accessing data to including the source of the insight to distinguish what…

Greater information overload moves our focus from simply accessing data to including the source of the insight to distinguish what we trust. As connectivity increases and the information being generated…

Greater information overload moves our focus from simply accessing data to including the source of the insight to distinguish what we trust. As connectivity increases and the information being generated around the world rises, many of us will be faced…

Foresight

Dense Cities

Dense Cities

As urban migration increases, efficient, densely populated cities, not distributed…

As urban migration increases, efficient, densely populated cities, not distributed…

As urban migration increases, efficient, densely populated cities, not distributed options, are the blueprints for more sustainable places to live.…

As urban migration increases, efficient, densely populated cities, not distributed options, are the blueprints for more sustainable places to live. By 2025, nearly 2.5 billion Asians will live in cities.…

As urban migration increases, efficient, densely populated cities, not distributed options, are the blueprints for more sustainable places to live. By 2025, nearly 2.5 billion Asians will live in cities. This urban growth is being fuelled by new levels of…

Foresight

Diabesity

Diabesity

With diabetes consuming 5% of GDP, a combination of fat…

With diabetes consuming 5% of GDP, a combination of fat…

With diabetes consuming 5% of GDP, a combination of fat taxation, patient data mining and personal budgets play a role…

With diabetes consuming 5% of GDP, a combination of fat taxation, patient data mining and personal budgets play a role in stabilising the obesity epidemic. Diabetes is the world’s most…

With diabetes consuming 5% of GDP, a combination of fat taxation, patient data mining and personal budgets play a role in stabilising the obesity epidemic. Diabetes is the world’s most costly epidemic. Over the next ten years there will be…

Foresight

Differentiated Knowledge

Differentiated Knowledge

As information is shared globally and insight is commoditised, the…

As information is shared globally and insight is commoditised, the…

As information is shared globally and insight is commoditised, the best returns go to those who can produce non-standard, differentiated…

As information is shared globally and insight is commoditised, the best returns go to those who can produce non-standard, differentiated knowledge. In his recent books The World is Flat and…

As information is shared globally and insight is commoditised, the best returns go to those who can produce non-standard, differentiated knowledge. In his recent books The World is Flat and Hot, Flat and Crowded, Thomas Friedman, New York Times columnist…

Foresight

Drone Wars

Drone Wars

Intelligent UAVs choose their victims themselves as the race for…

Intelligent UAVs choose their victims themselves as the race for…

Intelligent UAVs choose their victims themselves as the race for more focused military influence leads to the proliferation of assassination…

Intelligent UAVs choose their victims themselves as the race for more focused military influence leads to the proliferation of assassination tools. Over the past couple of years, Afghanistan and Pakistan…

Intelligent UAVs choose their victims themselves as the race for more focused military influence leads to the proliferation of assassination tools. Over the past couple of years, Afghanistan and Pakistan have seen a significant increase in the use of drone…

Foresight

Electric Mobility

Electric Mobility

With France and Germany taking the initial lead roles, electric…

With France and Germany taking the initial lead roles, electric…

With France and Germany taking the initial lead roles, electric cars take off and form up to 10% of the…

With France and Germany taking the initial lead roles, electric cars take off and form up to 10% of the world’s vehicle fleet by 2020. It is has been a…

With France and Germany taking the initial lead roles, electric cars take off and form up to 10% of the world’s vehicle fleet by 2020. It is has been a long time coming, but thirteen years after the global launch…

Foresight

Enjoying the 0rdinary

Enjoying the 0rdinary

Increasing satisfaction with the basics of life, driven by a…

Increasing satisfaction with the basics of life, driven by a…

Increasing satisfaction with the basics of life, driven by a backlash against excess, focuses more on making the most of…

Increasing satisfaction with the basics of life, driven by a backlash against excess, focuses more on making the most of the day-to-day and increasingly valuing the ordinary. Even before the…

Increasing satisfaction with the basics of life, driven by a backlash against excess, focuses more on making the most of the day-to-day and increasingly valuing the ordinary. Even before the economic downturn in Europe and the US that started in…

Foresight

Global Pandemics

Global Pandemics

We are likely to see two to three major pandemics…

We are likely to see two to three major pandemics…

We are likely to see two to three major pandemics start in regions with limited public healthcare and rapidly spread…

We are likely to see two to three major pandemics start in regions with limited public healthcare and rapidly spread globally and so demand fast response. Since the Spanish Flu…

We are likely to see two to three major pandemics start in regions with limited public healthcare and rapidly spread globally and so demand fast response. Since the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, which killed over 50 million people and…

Foresight

Halting Alzheimer’s

Halting Alzheimer’s

Stopping mental degradation from Alzheimer’s makes quality ageing more possible…

Stopping mental degradation from Alzheimer’s makes quality ageing more possible…

Stopping mental degradation from Alzheimer’s makes quality ageing more possible by improving cognition and slowing the rate of decline. In…

Stopping mental degradation from Alzheimer’s makes quality ageing more possible by improving cognition and slowing the rate of decline. In our discussions, one of the big bets for the future…

Stopping mental degradation from Alzheimer’s makes quality ageing more possible by improving cognition and slowing the rate of decline. In our discussions, one of the big bets for the future in the health arena that many are focused on is…

Foresight

Intelligent Buildings

Intelligent Buildings

Smarter, better-connected, self-monitoring homes and offices provide safer, more secure,…

Smarter, better-connected, self-monitoring homes and offices provide safer, more secure,…

Smarter, better-connected, self-monitoring homes and offices provide safer, more secure, low-energy buildings able to self-manage utilities. One of the much…

Smarter, better-connected, self-monitoring homes and offices provide safer, more secure, low-energy buildings able to self-manage utilities. One of the much discussed, but yet to be realised, dreams for architects, engineers…

Smarter, better-connected, self-monitoring homes and offices provide safer, more secure, low-energy buildings able to self-manage utilities. One of the much discussed, but yet to be realised, dreams for architects, engineers and progressive developers is the idea of the zero-waste, zero-energy…

Foresight

Less Energy

Less Energy

Consumers are incentivised to use significantly less energy as escalating…

Consumers are incentivised to use significantly less energy as escalating…

Consumers are incentivised to use significantly less energy as escalating growth in carbon emissions forces utilities to change their business…

Consumers are incentivised to use significantly less energy as escalating growth in carbon emissions forces utilities to change their business models. As highlighted previously, one of the four main certainties…

Consumers are incentivised to use significantly less energy as escalating growth in carbon emissions forces utilities to change their business models. As highlighted previously, one of the four main certainties about the next ten years is that we will experience…

Foresight

Less Variety

Less Variety

The future of choice is about less variety, but not…

The future of choice is about less variety, but not…

The future of choice is about less variety, but not less interest, as retailers and manufacturers provide an increasingly edited…

The future of choice is about less variety, but not less interest, as retailers and manufacturers provide an increasingly edited portfolio of products through ever more efficient channels. One of…

The future of choice is about less variety, but not less interest, as retailers and manufacturers provide an increasingly edited portfolio of products through ever more efficient channels. One of the most provocative initial viewpoints in the Future Agenda programme…

Foresight

Live Experiences

Live Experiences

The role of live activities and experiences in an increasingly…

The role of live activities and experiences in an increasingly…

The role of live activities and experiences in an increasingly virtual and isolated world becomes more important to create moments…

The role of live activities and experiences in an increasingly virtual and isolated world becomes more important to create moments for deeper, richer connections and social bonding between people. Being…

The role of live activities and experiences in an increasingly virtual and isolated world becomes more important to create moments for deeper, richer connections and social bonding between people. Being part of the moment has always been special. A major…

Foresight

Local Currency

Local Currency

The revitalisation of bartering, decreased trust in banks and increasing…

The revitalisation of bartering, decreased trust in banks and increasing…

The revitalisation of bartering, decreased trust in banks and increasing community focus broadens the adoption of alternative stores of value…

The revitalisation of bartering, decreased trust in banks and increasing community focus broadens the adoption of alternative stores of value for trade. Allied to the changing role of money globally,…

The revitalisation of bartering, decreased trust in banks and increasing community focus broadens the adoption of alternative stores of value for trade. Allied to the changing role of money globally, several commentators see a rise in the wider adoption of…

Foresight

Local Foods

Local Foods

Increased transparency on food availability and security, land use and…

Increased transparency on food availability and security, land use and…

Increased transparency on food availability and security, land use and eco-literacy accelerate mass consumption of locally grown and processed foods.…

Increased transparency on food availability and security, land use and eco-literacy accelerate mass consumption of locally grown and processed foods. After nearly a century of interest in global foods sourced…

Increased transparency on food availability and security, land use and eco-literacy accelerate mass consumption of locally grown and processed foods. After nearly a century of interest in global foods sourced from different countries, some developed-world nations have seen a steadily…

Foresight

Mass Medical Tourism

Mass Medical Tourism

Medical tourism goes mainstream as low-cost cardiac surgery and broader…

Medical tourism goes mainstream as low-cost cardiac surgery and broader…

Medical tourism goes mainstream as low-cost cardiac surgery and broader healthcare provision join dentistry and cosmetic surgery to have global…

Medical tourism goes mainstream as low-cost cardiac surgery and broader healthcare provision join dentistry and cosmetic surgery to have global impact. Switzerland has long been a centre for medical holidays…

Medical tourism goes mainstream as low-cost cardiac surgery and broader healthcare provision join dentistry and cosmetic surgery to have global impact. Switzerland has long been a centre for medical holidays – a place where the rich have gone for relaxation…

Foresight

Migration magnets

Migration magnets

In the Judge Dredd comic book series, Mega-City One is…

In the Judge Dredd comic book series, Mega-City One is…

In the Judge Dredd comic book series, Mega-City One is a huge fictional city-state covering much of the eastern United…

In the Judge Dredd comic book series, Mega-City One is a huge fictional city-state covering much of the eastern United States, linking an urban corridor stretching from Atlanta to Quebec.…

In the Judge Dredd comic book series, Mega-City One is a huge fictional city-state covering much of the eastern United States, linking an urban corridor stretching from Atlanta to Quebec. With a population of over 400 million it is one…

Foresight

Muslim Europe

Muslim Europe

With increasing economic migration the total Muslim population of Europe…

With increasing economic migration the total Muslim population of Europe…

With increasing economic migration the total Muslim population of Europe is similar in size to that of Germany and a…

With increasing economic migration the total Muslim population of Europe is similar in size to that of Germany and a rising cultural/political influence. Migration has been a contentious subject for…

With increasing economic migration the total Muslim population of Europe is similar in size to that of Germany and a rising cultural/political influence. Migration has been a contentious subject for a number of years and, as politicians continue to avoid…

Foresight

People Tracking

People Tracking

The acceptance of being tracked by your mobile is accelerated…

The acceptance of being tracked by your mobile is accelerated…

The acceptance of being tracked by your mobile is accelerated by ticket-less transport systems, increased surveillance and successful location-based services.…

The acceptance of being tracked by your mobile is accelerated by ticket-less transport systems, increased surveillance and successful location-based services. Anyone who has used an iPhone will be aware that…

The acceptance of being tracked by your mobile is accelerated by ticket-less transport systems, increased surveillance and successful location-based services. Anyone who has used an iPhone will be aware that location services are now embedded in most smart-phones. By the…

Foresight

Pharma Foods

Pharma Foods

More customised foods blur the line between pharmaceuticals and food…

More customised foods blur the line between pharmaceuticals and food…

More customised foods blur the line between pharmaceuticals and food as nutrigenomics allow individualized diets to fit genetic profiles. As…

More customised foods blur the line between pharmaceuticals and food as nutrigenomics allow individualized diets to fit genetic profiles. As awareness of advances in biotechnology is increasing, a growing area…

More customised foods blur the line between pharmaceuticals and food as nutrigenomics allow individualized diets to fit genetic profiles. As awareness of advances in biotechnology is increasing, a growing area of interest is in the use of foods for medical…

Foresight

Seamless Media Consumption

Seamless Media Consumption

Multiple media sources are instantly integrated at the point of…

Multiple media sources are instantly integrated at the point of…

Multiple media sources are instantly integrated at the point of consumption to provide us with continual, enhanced and immersive access…

Multiple media sources are instantly integrated at the point of consumption to provide us with continual, enhanced and immersive access to tailored, bite-sized content. How we access and consume information…

Multiple media sources are instantly integrated at the point of consumption to provide us with continual, enhanced and immersive access to tailored, bite-sized content. How we access and consume information has undergone rapid change over the past few years. The…

Foresight

Solar Sunrise

Solar Sunrise

Increasing governmental focus on energy security and climate change drives…

Increasing governmental focus on energy security and climate change drives…

Increasing governmental focus on energy security and climate change drives the uptake of large-scale solar as the leading renewable supply.…

Increasing governmental focus on energy security and climate change drives the uptake of large-scale solar as the leading renewable supply. The combined pressures of rising global energy demand, increasing concern…

Increasing governmental focus on energy security and climate change drives the uptake of large-scale solar as the leading renewable supply. The combined pressures of rising global energy demand, increasing concern about climate change, greater focus on the advance of ‘peak…

Foresight

Third Global Currency

Third Global Currency

The economic rise of Asia and the need for an…

The economic rise of Asia and the need for an…

The economic rise of Asia and the need for an alternative to the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency…

The economic rise of Asia and the need for an alternative to the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency produces a parallel broad-basket Asian Currency Unit. Alongside individual national…

The economic rise of Asia and the need for an alternative to the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency produces a parallel broad-basket Asian Currency Unit. Alongside individual national currencies and regional currencies such as the East Caribbean Dollar…

Foresight

Urban (Im)mobility

Urban (Im)mobility

Informed choices, growth, congestion and regulation impact the world’s cities…

Informed choices, growth, congestion and regulation impact the world’s cities…

Informed choices, growth, congestion and regulation impact the world’s cities to drive a shift to more sustainable and efficient transport…

Informed choices, growth, congestion and regulation impact the world’s cities to drive a shift to more sustainable and efficient transport options. Although all cities are in many ways different in…

Informed choices, growth, congestion and regulation impact the world’s cities to drive a shift to more sustainable and efficient transport options. Although all cities are in many ways different in terms of layout and structure, and consequently have different transport…

Foresight

Virtual Authenticity

Virtual Authenticity

Trusting our digital credentials allows us to participate confidently in…

Trusting our digital credentials allows us to participate confidently in…

Trusting our digital credentials allows us to participate confidently in open global transactions to gain access to what we want…

Trusting our digital credentials allows us to participate confidently in open global transactions to gain access to what we want when we want. Proving what is real in an increasingly…

Trusting our digital credentials allows us to participate confidently in open global transactions to gain access to what we want when we want. Proving what is real in an increasingly complex world is seen as a significant emerging challenge by…

Foresight

Water Management

Water Management

Advanced water purification, irrigation and desalination technologies are used to…

Advanced water purification, irrigation and desalination technologies are used to…

Advanced water purification, irrigation and desalination technologies are used to help communities to manage the growing supply/demand imbalance. As highlighted…

Advanced water purification, irrigation and desalination technologies are used to help communities to manage the growing supply/demand imbalance. As highlighted in the key resource constraints chapter, water is the resource…

Advanced water purification, irrigation and desalination technologies are used to help communities to manage the growing supply/demand imbalance. As highlighted in the key resource constraints chapter, water is the resource over which many governments, corporations and communities have greatest concern…