Trends Identified

Concentration of Wealth
As global wealth inequities grow, the divide between the rich and the poor gets greater, coupled with stagnating middle class incomes and the rise of the luxury consumer.
2017
Beyond the Noise- The Megatrends of Tomorrow’s World
Deloitte
Power
As Harvard University political scientist Joseph Nye has pointed out, power in geopolitics will shift from West to East. And in business and society, power will shift from the centre to the margins, in both the West and East. While shifts in power occurred in the past, we need to watch the particulars of the upcoming shifts: the return of the East as leaders in science and technology, not just as major economies; and the empowerment of marginal actors, such as social minorities and new platform businesses, who may grow into influential actors and even take on lead roles one day.
2017
Foresigth
Singapore, The Centre for Strategic Futures
Urban Oasis
As in the Middle Ages, cities rapidly assume increased importance, as national governments cannot deliver on overall economic growth. Cities are a magnet for the brightest and most talented. Well-run cities spawn and use new technologies, helping to make them self-sufficient in terms of resources. They seek special political privileges and autonomy.
2016
Global risks 2035- the search for a new normal
Atlantic Council
In-memory revolution
As in-memory technologies move from analytical to transactional systems, the potential to fundamentally reshape business processes grows. Technical upgrades of analytics and ERP engines may offer total cost of ownership improvements, but potential also lies in using in-memory technologies to solve tough business problems. CIOs can help the business identify new opportunities and provide the platform for the resulting process transformation.
2014
Tech trends 2014 - Inspiring Disruption
Deloitte
Infectious Disease Pathogen Detection Robot System
As it is expected that the outbreak risk and frequency of new infectious diseases will increase, quick diagnosis and response strategy is critical. Therefore, revolutionary technology that can reduce the side effects of current contact method is necessary. As a result, the importance of unmanned diagnostic technology will increase, which involves a series of processing (from clinical specimen processing to pathogenic organism detection) using a non-contact method.
2011
KISTEP 10 Emerging Technologies 2011
South Korea, Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP)
More contract and part-time workers
As noted in MetaScan 2, more and more workers will likely be part-time, self-employed contactors in the emerging “project economy.” For the duration of a project, they may work in an office, in their home or from a creative hub or public space. Smart surfaces will enable workers to create or share a workspace anywhere, with capacity for virtual face- to-face and group-to-group collaboration. Both high- and low-skilled workers will do tasks or jobs of varying dura on for multiple employers, brokered through social media and “microtasking” apps.
2013
Metascan 3 emerging technologies
Canada, Policy Horizons Canada
GDPR Forces Brand Hands
As of August 2018, about 1/3 of companies were still not compliant with the Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which aims to provide huge layers of data protection for users. In fact, at this time, about 1,000 U.S. news sites still aren’t available in Europe, generally because they don’t care enough about data security to make the GDPR a priornewity. What does this mean in terms of 2019 digital transformation trends? It means informed customers will start to see which companies truly care about protecting their data, and which companies really don’t. I believe that GDPR is the start of a more global trend that will hold companies accountable for how they treat privacy and personal data. While brands do not necessarily want to have to comply, this movement will serve as a warning to companies to figure out better ways to genuinely build relationships with their audience as opposed to the often clear misuse and abuse of personal data in the name of marketing and selling.
2018
Top 10 Digital Transformation Trends For 2019
Forbes
IT unbounded - The business potential of IT transformation
As organizations modernize their IT operating and delivery models, some are creating multifunctional teams and breaking down silos across IT. They are also looking beyond organizational boundaries to explore the open talent market and to form new types of relationships with vendors, incubators, and academics. Finally, with technology dominating strategic business priorities, some companies are educating executives and staff to increase awareness and understanding of both core and emerging technologies. For many, embracing this multifaceted approach may require adjustments to org models, IT processes, and supporting systems. The good news is that irrespective of an organization’s legacy footprint, there are systematic approaches that can make the task more manageable. And the outcome may justify the effort: Services become “unbounded” and more efficient, transforming the IT organization.
2017
Tech trends 2017 - the kinetic enterprise
Deloitte
Costs of fundamental digital capabilities are dropping at an exponential rate
As our core computation, digital storage and network technologies become increasingly affordable relative to performance, they support an increasingly innovative and diverse system which has richer digital information and services.
2017
Surfing the digital tsunami
Australia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
The rise of the sharing economy
As platforms for home sharing and ride sharing have grown popular, the Centre for Strategic Futures (CSF) has been exploring the sharing economy and its implications for Singapore.
2017
Foresigth
Singapore, The Centre for Strategic Futures