Trends Identified
Russia and China in 2030: authoritarian alliance or geopolitical rivals?
The relationship between China and Russia is likely to become stronger and Moscow’s dependency on Beijing will grow: Russia will be the junior partner. If Russia can cope with the limitations of this position, it could benefit from such a role.
2016
Global Trendometer - essays on medium- and long-term global trends
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Democracy in the Middle East and North Africa in 2030
The two most important events affecting the evolution of democracy in the region in the last two decades were the US Global War on Terror, especially the Iraq War, and the so-called Arab Spring in 2011. Both led to major transformations in the region, which is now in turmoil: violent repression of legitimate protest and regional antagonisms have led to civil wars with over 15 million refugees; the securitisation of domestic politics, whereby ‘normal’ policy issues are treated as security threats, has put a stop to reform movements; and the low oil price and economic stagnation have further destabilised the region.
2016
Global Trendometer - essays on medium- and long-term global trends
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
3D printing for development
The current ‘tipping point’ moment, where 3d printing is ‘coming of age as a manufacturing technique’ and is considered to be the cornerstone of a decentralised manufacturing revolution.
2016
Ten Frontier Technologies for International Development
Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
Collaborative economy tools
Collaborative economy tools leverage the power of social networks and technology to promote new models of consumption, novel employment and income generation opportunities.
2016
Ten Frontier Technologies for International Development
Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
Alternative internet delivery
Affordable access to the internet remains one of the major challenges to getting more poor people online. The poorest people in the least developed countries pay more for internet access than citizens in developed countries in absolute and relative terms.
2016
Ten Frontier Technologies for International Development
Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
Internet of things
The internet of things (ioT) provides the opportunity to radically improve the efficiency of all kinds of public sector, business and community processes and infrastructure, thanks to a growing network of low-cost sensors, actuators, and data communications technology embedded in physical objects
2016
Ten Frontier Technologies for International Development
Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
Unmanned aerial vehicles/ Drones
The proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – commonly known as drones – that are easy to use and low cost is leading to their widespread deployment in aerial inspection tasks, mapping physical and social phenomena, providing unmanned cargo deliveries, and taking aerial photography and video. There is a clear opportunity to transform the way development organisations collect and deliver data and physical objects, enabling these tasks to be undertaken faster, safer, cheaper, more efficiently and more accurately than ever before.
2016
Ten Frontier Technologies for International Development
Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
Airships
Modern airships have the potential to transport fully assembled goods, supplies, and even large structures from the point of manufacture directly to their point of use without the need to build any of the usual transportation infrastructure such as roads, railways, runways or airports.
2016
Ten Frontier Technologies for International Development
Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
Solar desalination
Historically, people have tried to increase water availability to meet demands by exploiting unutilised fresh water sources, such as rainwater, groundwater and atmospheric water, or through improved water management practices, including demand management, water recycling, river flow regulation and so on.245 while these practices are widespread today, their potential mitigating impact on escalating levels of water stress is somewhat limited because fresh water only accounts for around 3% of global water volumes. As a result, increasing attempts have been made to harness the remaining 97% of saline water, comprising seawater and brackish water.246 experts argue that methods to turn saline into fresh water are likely to play an important role, especially in developing countries. Some go as far as to suggest that ‘desalination [could] make a revolution in water supply globally.
2016
Ten Frontier Technologies for International Development
Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
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)