Trends Identified

Social innovation
In addition to technological, product, process, organizational and marketing innovations, social innovation answers to pressing social demands that require the combination of actions coming from the market, the public sector and the civil society. Social innovation delivers results that are positive for economic and social cohesion (cf. new social problems, vulnerable groups, gender discriminations), create new social relationships and foster collaborative economy. Social innovation addresses societal and environmental challenges while improving collective wellbeing. Social innovations are particularly relevant in times of crises and budgetary constraints.
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Behavioral science
People make mental shortcuts in order to make complex choices. These shortcuts help in many situations where fast reaction is needed. But when time is available to decide, a profounder thinking process is needed, which requires effort. The Human Behaviour can be studied and influenced. It is studied in Behavioural Science and it can be predicted in order to set conditions and choices so that desirable behaviour occurs; e.g. in relation to health, climate, energy and other policies. Behavioural Science is helping us to understand why and how we behave the way we do. Organ Donation Behaviour: Depending on whether the choice is "opt-out" or "opt-in" the rate of organ donors can vary from 10% in one country to 90% in another country.
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Media an culture
The digital shift is having a profound and sometimes disruptive effect on creative ecosystems. New types of intermediaries between creators and consumers have emerged in the value chain. Co-creation of knowledge and culture through online social networks is a "game-changing" social innovation that empowers citizens and has the potential to address societal challenges. Users become ever more expert in creating their own user-generated content, as new cohorts of young people become adept at shaping and exploiting cultural and creative content through social media. Social media is poised to become the biggest component of mainstream media, in many cases at the expense of editorial media. Consumers’ appetite for new cultural formats and media – and their capacity to be active actors in this transformation - will depend on their ability to embrace the opportunities brought about by technology.
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Future education and learning
Education bears ever-increasing importance as an enabler of economic, societal and political participation and is a core vehicle by which society's values are passed to the next generation. Yet education too has to adapt to a changing world – not just the knowledge and skills taught, but also materials, tools and pedagogies need to step into the digital era. Never before have the potentials for equity, access and quality of education been greater – and not since the 19th century has education gone through such a severe transformation. In the 12 months to June 2014 the number of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in- creased by 327%. Of those the 2625 MOOCs 597 were European.
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Future smart cities
In the cities of the future, ICT will play a key role in the challenge of ensuring the wellbeing of large numbers of inhabitants. And cities will become smart. Smart cities will empower citizens by simplifying their daily life and providing them with more resources and opportunities, supporting new life styles, social inclusion and involvement in participatory governance. Policies, however, shall not understate the additional pressure on strategic sectors as logistics and transport and new risks and threats related to the large deployment of ICT (cybersecurity, data protection and privacy). 70% of the world population in 2050 will live in a city.
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Future mobility
Over the next decades, demand for mobility will further increase. Although in some geographical areas less transport is possible, in general people and goods will be moving more often, further and faster. Technologies servicing mobility needs are largely fossil fuel based and characterised by little inter-connectivity and inter-modality. The transport sector is currently characterised by a high degree of 'technology lock-in'; high investments in existing assets prevent the introduction of transformative solutions in the market.
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Graphene and related new materials
Graphene is a form of carbon, in sheets one atom thick. The outstanding material properties of graphene give it the potential to replace or supplement many other materials, in a vast range of potential products and applications. It is the first of what will become a large family of new 2-D materials. It is expected that graphene will be a "game-changer"; it will enable new or enhanced applications, processes and products in a wide range of industries and sectors of the economy. The long-term forecast worldwide potential market will be hundreds of billions of euros.
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Nano-electronics
Nanoelectronics is the advanced technology which exploits qualitatively new phenomena of electric circuits functionality emerging at nanoscales. Particularly promising are applications involving quantum nature of those systems such as quantum coherence and the intrinsic spin of an electron. Current research deals with new generation of quantum devices, which open up horizons for qualitatively new applications such as quantum computing/communication, quantum metrological standards, various logic devices. These developments will provide systemic solutions addressing fundamental limitations of conventional ("More Moore"), and even less conventional CMOS technologies (‘more than Moore’ or ‘Beyond CMOS’). Exploiting a broad variety of materials, phenomena and integrating multiple functions in miniaturised smart systems is the next frontier in Nanoelectronics.
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Nanomaterials
The group of materials currently attracting most attention are nano-titanium dioxide, nanozinc oxide, fullerenes, carbon allotropes such as nanotubes or graphene, and nanosilver. Those materials are marketed in clearly smaller quantities than the traditional nanomaterials, but the use of some of these materials is increasing fast. Other new nanomaterials and new uses are being developed rapidly. While some nanomaterials offer improvement in established uses e.g. in automotive or construction sector, many are used in innovative applications such as catalysts, electronics, solar panels, batteries and biomedical applications including diagnostics and tumour therapies. Some, due to their unique properties exclusively originating from nanoscale phenomena, can be used for specific applications which cannot be attained by conventional macroscale materials.
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Photonics and light technologies
Since the invention of the laser in 1960, photonics technologies have been further developed and have emerged in applications like communications, lighting, displays, health, manufacturing bringing about major improvements and innovations. Photonics is now everywhere around us and in everyday products like DVD players and mobile phones. In 2005, the European Commission established the European Technology Platform in Photonics: "Photonics21". In 2009, the European Commission recognised Photonics as one of the Key Enabling Technologies and in 2013 it created the Public Private Partnership in Photonics. In Photonics the stakeholders develop a vision and a roadmap of photonics as a well-defined science leading to disruptive break- throughs in telecommunications, life sciences, manufacturing, lighting and displays, sensors and education.
2015
Preparing the Commission for future opportunities - Foresight network fiches 2030
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)