Trends Identified
Fisheries/aquaculture
Fisheries and aquaculture are a vital source of nutritious food, economic opportunities and jobs. Large volumes of fish are traded in international markets and the European Union is by far the world’s biggest importer. Over fishing continues to be a problem worldwide, though in the EU the proportion of fish stocks advised as over fished has fallen from 94% in 2005 to 39% in 2013. In 2013, the EU adopted the objective of the maximum sustainable yield for the management of its fisheries. Global aquaculture has grown at an impressive rate over the past decades and could provide two-thirds of world fish production by 2030. An increase in world human population from 7 billion towards 9 billion by 2050, and the emergence of a middle class will significantly increase demand for fish. Given the limited potential for further growth in world capture fisheries production, future demand will mainly rely on a substantial increase in aquaculture production.
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Atmospheric water condensers
Fog collectors use atmospheric water condensing processes to extract water from the atmosphere – whether in the form of dew, fog or rain – and collect it for human use.
2016
Ten Frontier Technologies for International Development
Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
On-demand
Following a general trend for personalization through technology, food experiences can now be tailored to your specific tastes. Algorithms are used to track when supply of certain products outstrips demand, in order to push adjust pricing3. New apps get to know your tastes, similar to the way Spotify4 delivers music recommendations, and give you rewards for loyalty. Workplace vending machines are getting a significant makeover too — for example, Byte’s vending machines5 offer sushi instead of crisps and chocolate bars.
2017
How we eat now: five disruptive food trends
EY
Renewable energy technologies
Following recent technological breakthroughs, a growing number of current and emerging technologies in the area of renewable energy generation have achieved a sufficient level of technical and economic maturity to render them ready for large-scale deployment.
2018
World Economic And Social Survey 2018: Frontier Technologies For Sustainable Development
United Nations
Tracing food from seed to mouth
Food-related information for monitoring regulations and markets could be enhanced through implanted chips, sensors and bioinformatics. We may be able to trace food production as well as the path of food-borne diseases to a much higher degree. Markets, consumers and governments could have much more detailed knowledge of where food comes from, who produced it, how, and with what by-products.
2013
Metascan 3 emerging technologies
Canada, Policy Horizons Canada
Business confidence: Vigour & Circumspection
For 11 years, our Annual Global CEO Surveys have tracked how confident global leaders feel about the prospects for growth. The overall level of confidence has now dipped for the first time in five years. But this troubling picture masks two very different regional trends. CEOs in the industrialised Western economies are less confident about the prospects for business growth than they were last year. Those in the emerging economies of Asia, Latin America and the ‘new’ Europe, by contrast, see increasing opportunities for expansion.
2008
11th Annual global CEO Survey
PWC
The CEO Statesman is on the rise
For a host of reasons, CEOs are increasingly taking on social issues. Driving the trend: socially-conscious millennial workers, ineffective governments, and the need to build public trust in business. Expect to see more CEOs stepping up in 2018. With the labor market tight, they need to show that their companies are doing good in the world to attract the best talent.
2018
Five Big Business Trends to Watch in 2018
Fortune
Carbon dioxide reuse
For ages, CO2 has never been considered an issue worth dedicating significant scientific attention to. This has changed with the growing certainty about man-made climate change and the role of CO2 as a greenhouse gas: CO2 emissions need to be avoided or CO2 needs to be stored 'eternally' (Carbon Capture and Storage – CCS, see separate fiche). However, CO2 can also be used as a raw material in industrial processes, notably by using the carbon component (C) through chemical or biological reactions. Research and first pilot installations have started on a number of different technology paths (polymerisation, mineralisation, bio-engineering, etc.)
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
The crystal ball internet
For around 20 years, starting in the 1980s, the political scientist Philip Tetlock sought predictions from people considered knowledgeable. His experts, 280 of them, were the kind of folk who, in their work as TV pundits or government advisors, opined on matters such as the rise of China or security in the Middle East. As time passed, he checked their forecasts. The results were dismal. “Human beings who spend their lives studying the state of the world… are poorer forecasters than dart-throwing monkeys,” wrote one reviewer of Tetlock’s work. Not so for a powerful new method of forecasting called “text mining”. It draws on the vast amount of data available online. By sampling the sentiments expressed in the torrent of blog posts, tweets and Facebook updates, you can gain unprecedented insights into the mood of the world and use it to predict what is to come.
2011
Seven technologies to disrupt the next decade
NewScientist
Systems biology and computational modelling/simulation of chemical and biological systems
For improved healthcare and bio-based manufacturing, it is essential to understand how biology and chemistry work together. Systems biology and computational modelling and simulation are playing increasingly important roles in designing therapeutics, materials and processes that are highly efficient in achieving their design goals, while minimally impacting on human health and the environment.
2012
The top 10 emerging technologies for 2012
World Economic Forum (WEF)