Trends Identified
Asymmetric demographic change.
The worldwide ageing populations will cause major challenges for some economies and government budgets. Gender inequality will further destabilize demographic change. However, the population in countries with a high fertility rate will remain relatively young, as seen in Africa, thus creating a youth bulge and potential for migration.
2017
Strategic foresight analysis
NATO
Increasing urbanization.
Urbanization is increasing at different rates globally, with the highest growth rates in the least developed parts of the world thus creating the challenge of providing adequate basic services and a functioning infrastructure to ensure a minimum quality of life for citizens.
2017
Strategic foresight analysis
NATO
Fractured and/or polarized societies.
Polarization of societies has become a worldwide phenomenon; however, western developed nations are particularly vulnerable due to increased empowerment of individuals. Polarization can also exist between countries.
2017
Strategic foresight analysis
NATO
Increasingly connected human networks.
Human networks are expected to continue to be increasingly decentralized thereby allowing unforeseeable threats
2017
Strategic foresight analysis
NATO
Rate of technology advance
The advances in technology and innovation accelerate as they are fuelled by continued exponential increases in supporting computing power and advances in augmented intelligence
2017
Strategic foresight analysis
NATO
Access to technology
The ability of individuals, non-state actors to access technology has significantly increased.
2017
Strategic foresight analysis
NATO
Global network development
Global networks will increasingly enable access to and provide information on commodities and capital assets. Global networks will increasingly be used for dissemination of post-truth information
2017
Strategic foresight analysis
NATO
Dominance of the commercial sector in technological development
The advances in defence technology developments/sales and space exploration/exploitation by commercial sectors have taken away the monopoly that used to be held by governments
2017
Strategic foresight analysis
NATO
Technological dependencies
Both society, and defence and security, have increasingly depended on certain technologies which have become essential in everyday lives
2017
Strategic foresight analysis
NATO
Globalization of financial resources
An increasingly interconnected global financial system makes it more vulnerable to attacks by both state and non-state actors
2017
Strategic foresight analysis
NATO