Trends Identified

Targeting emerging markets
The divergence within the global economy is one of the main reasons why most CEOs (84%) say they’ve changed their company strategy in the past two years – with a third of them describing the change as ‘fundamental’. Only half the world is growing at a robust rate. Although the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts global growth at 4.2% for 2011, developed countries – which make up 52% of the world economy – are growing at only half that pace. In contrast, emerging markets are booming, with Indonesia, India and China all forecast to grow faster than 6%.1
2011
14th Annual global CEO Survey
PWC
The global middle class will grow
The dramatic change in the global economic landscape will be both a cause and a consequence of the emergence of a new Global Middle and Rich class (GMR).4 At present, about a quarter of the global GMR population resides in developing countries. By 2030, the GMR population in developing countries will have overtaken that in advanced countries, and in 2060 about 60 percent of the world’s GMR population will reside in developing countries.
2011
Africa in 50 Years’ Time
African Development Bank
More from less
The earth has limited supplies of natural mineral, energy, water and food resources essential for human survival and maintaining lifestyles. Data are revealing many of these resources are being depleted at often alarming rates. At the same time population growth_x000B_and economic growth are placing upward pressure on demand. The more from less megatrend explores how companies, governments and communities will discover new ways of ensuring quality of life for current and future generations within the confines of the natural world’s limited resources. Science, technology, business processes, government policy, lifestyle patterns and cultural norms will all play a role.
2012
Our future world - globla megatrends that will change the way we live
Australia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Rise of anti-EU, anti-establishment movements
The economic and financial crisis has put pressure on the political fabric of EU integration. Anti-establishment and populist parties on the far left and far right are emerging throughout the EU. Exploiting the public sense of economic insecurity and fractured national identity, these parties blame the EU for job losses, public spending cuts and rising immigration.
2014
Challenges at the horizon 2025
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
BRIC: the new powerhouses
The economic growth of the BRIC countries up through 2030 is overwhelming. Their real GDP will grow by 7.9% p.a. over the next 20 years, much faster than over the past 20 years (5.6%). The BRIC countries will generate 36% of global GDP in 2030, compared to 18% today. China's annual real GDP growth rate will be the strongest at 9.0%, followed by India (8.4%), Brazil (5.5%) and Russia (5.3%). China will overtake the United States to become the world's largest economy by 2026. India's will be one-quarter the size of the Chinese economy in 2030, accounting for 5.7% of the world's GDP. Brazil will overtake Japan in 2030
2011
Trend compendium 2030
Roland Berger Strategy Consultants
Mergers & acquisitions: Underlying optimism & Contrasting direction
The economic prognosis may be gloomy, but many CEOs are still keen to expand overseas. However, North American CEOs are more cautious than their peers in other regions, and Asian CEOs favour strategic alliances over M&As.
2008
11th Annual global CEO Survey
PWC
The economic outlook
The economy and the future economic setting remain perhaps the most critical factor in determining to a large extent which family and household groups are affected, and how. Long-term stable growth, ample employment opportunities, sound public finances, etc. will clearly affect family/household outcomes differently to a long-term unstable economy with high structural unemployment and poor public finances. In either case, some households and families will thrive, while others will see their vulnerability grow. Policy can mitigate such inequalities and ease the situation especially of those who are the most in need. But just as the future economic setting will affect families/households dif- ferently, so it will also affect the scope and resources available for policy action.
2011
The Future of Families to 2030
OECD
Internet of Things
The ecosystem of electronic devices connected to the Internet that can be accessed remotely continues to grow (e.g., sensor technology, wearable technologies, connected vehicles).
2017
Beyond the Noise- The Megatrends of Tomorrow’s World
Deloitte
The Future Is Edge
The edge is where it’s at. Investments will increasingly migrate from the cloud to edge computing. Porsche, Softbank, and Berkshire have already bet big on edge computing start-ups. Watch out for significant application enablement as a result. There’s going to be further movement shifting storage and processing to the edge. In the meantime, a slew of industries—defense and healthcare, among them—will begin to leverage edge computing technologies. And no, I haven’t forgotten about our two missteps from last year. First, our prediction that some tech giants, Apple in particular, would hit the golden $1 trillion valuation mark didn’t quite happen as expected; they did hit the mark but failed to sustain the momentum. Another of our predictions that didn't turn out as anticipated was that a generation of young leaders would spearhead a new brand of politics. Disappointingly, the sheen of poster boys like Emmanuel Macron, Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, Kim Jong Un and Justin Trudeau dimmed considerably over the course of 2018.
2019
Top 10 Trends For 2019
Forbes
Natural Disasters
The effects of natural disasters will become more devastating. Natural disasters (e.g. earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, meteor strikes) will occur with devastating impacts on humanity. Increased population and infrastructure in disaster prone areas will magnify the consequences of these natural disasters.
2013
Strategic Foresight Analysis 2013 Report
NATO