Trends Identified

Models and data in decision-making

We will have ever more accurate description and models of many technical and natural phenomena; we might even have better models of human activity (behavioural models and data). We will have an ever increasing range of data on all aspects of policy and societal decisions. Citizens will be ever more involved in decisions processes in society, redefining the role of experts and even policy makers. We need to analyse opportunities and pitfalls from these developments in time. The ultimate use of models will most likely be as tools for orientation rather than as tools for prediction.

2015

Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030

European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)

Cyber security

Shopping media, and publishing, but also democratic processes such as elections, are moving online. This can only work with a high level of trust. Furthermore, the same holds for many future sectorial infrastructures, processes, and resources, like sewage systems or smart buildings, that will be adaptive, distributed, collaborative, and efficiently controlled. They will depend on ICT and cloud infrastructure and services that must be reliable, predictable and always available, ensuring confidentiality and protection of privacy and being capable to react to cyber threats in real time.

2015

Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030

European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)

EU- wide internet of things initiative

The number of IoT connections within the EU is estimated to increase from approximately 1.8 million in 2013 to almost 6 billion in 2020. IoT revenues (including the value of system shipments, devices, IoT technologies and correlated IT services) should increase from more than €307 billion in 2013 to more than €1,180 billion in 2020. IoT is expected to impact all economic sectors, with faster take-up in manufacturing and consumer packaged goods. The digital market being the most competitive market for IoT products and services, it should be equipped with appropriate open and high level standards applicable EU wide and with appropriate so and hard law initiatives ensuring a high level of trust in IoT devices and seamless access to the public and private sector.

2015

Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030

European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)

Brain-inspired technologies

Understanding the human brain is one of the greatest challenges facing 21st century science. Advances in this understanding can help us gain profound insights into what makes us human, develop new treatments for brain disease and build revolutionary new computing and robotic technologies. Modern ICT has now brought these goals within sight.

2015

Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030

European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)

Big data

Big Data' loosely describes a set of technologies that deal with very large volumes of fast changing information, usually from a variety of disparate sources with substantial economic, scientific or public value. Currently data value chains are emerging across almost all sectors of the economy and society, as information technologies increasingly accompany most aspects of our life and society in general.

2015

Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030

European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)

Personalised medicine

Personalised medicine has the potential to offer safer and better treatments and diets, earlier diagnostics and prevention. No longer based on averages or statistics, but on what you need, when you need it, while taking into account your specific genome, biochemistry, environment and behaviour. Citizens will actively manage their health through sensoring devices, mobile apps etc. which can eventually lead to advanced tools such as personal medical avatar.

2015

Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030

European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)

Regenerative medicine and tissue engineering

Regenerative medicine has developed from new scientific discoveries, notably in the stem cell field. It offers hope for life-threatening or untreatable diseases, such as Parkinson's or Huntington's disease, and provides new approaches to treat diseases with serious societal impact, such as diabetes, and for the ageing population.

2015

Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030

European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)

Prosthetics and body implants

Pushed by ever more knowledge on tissues, bio-compatibility of materials, biological processes and IT, prosthetic implants are about to be developed for ever more human body parts. Europeans will continue to embrace this development. Double-digit growth rates can be expected. There will also be policy and regulatory challenges. The question of affordability and a possible social divide may arise.

2015

Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030

European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)

Human enhancement

Pushed by military and medical research, human enhancement might change the day-to-day life experience of many Europeans in a few years from now-on, e.g. by creating an “augmented reality” and receiving information from IT via nerves-IT-interfaces. The big potential in terms of economic growth will be accompanied by policy and regulatory challenges and maybe even a societal divide. Any regulatory response must build on international cooperation to be efficient.

2015

Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030

European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)

Synthetic biology

Scientific advances in synthetic biology are expected to provide the foundations for realising the full innovation potential of biotechnology in contained-use applications, mainly in health and industrial biotechnology applications. It will provide innovative solutions for the conversion of our current unsustainable fossil-based industries into sustainable and competitive bio-based industries for bioproducts (e.g. chemicals, polymers) and bioenergy, for new antibiotics and vaccines, and new diagnostics and treatments for cancer and rare diseases. At the same time, one has to take note of the ongoing debate regarding the scientific and legal definition of what synthetic biology comprises and of the discussions concerning potential risks and benefits of synthetic biology in terms of the environment, consumer health and biological diversity.

2015

Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030

European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)