Trends Identified
Rise of the middle class
Mobility is not just about geography; there is also an integral socioeconomic dimension. Over the next 40 years, billions more people are expected to join the global middle class.
2013
Now for the long term - The Report of the Oxford Martin Commission for Future Generations
Oxford Martin School
Rising consumption of raw materials and water. Rising pressure on land and global food insecurity
Every European citizen consumes 16 tonnes of materials annually, of which six tonnes are wasted, with half going to landfills. This consumption pattern stands in stark contrast to limited and increasingly expensive resources. Businesses are facing rising costs for essential raw materials and minerals, their scarcity and price volatility are having a damaging effect on the economy. These consumption patterns put further pressure on sources of minerals, metals and energy, and stocks of fish, timber, water, fertile soils, clean air, biomass and biodiversity.
2014
Challenges at the horizon 2025
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Rising geostrategic competition
In the years following the Cold War, the prevailing view was that the world had moved towards a liberal, democratic consensus. The break-up of the Soviet bloc, the integration of Russia and China into the global economic system and a fresh wave of democratic transitions, from Latin America to Eastern Europe, led many to believe that superpower rivalries were finished. Globalization, the free market and the ‘interdependence’ of countries would make wars less likely, while a greater role was forecast for multilateral bodies like the United Nations in responding to issues that put everyone at risk.
2014
Outlook on the global agenda 2015
World Economic Forum (WEF)
Rising input and commodity costs
17% of KPMG member firm advisors answered that this trend has a large negative impact for the user organizations.
2015
Top trends and predictions for 2015 and beyond
KPMG
Rising middle class in the developing world
Economic globalisation and growth in the emerging economies has lifted millions into the middle classes. It is projected that more than 70 million people are crossing the threshold to the middle class each year in almost all emerging economies. By 2020, roughly 40% of the world’s population will have achieved middle-class status by global standards—up from less than 20 % in 2010. This creates major opportunities for investment and prosperity and exports to emerging markets.
2014
Challenges at the horizon 2025
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Rising pollution in the developing world
The industrialization of the developing world is creating unsustainable pollution levels. The solution requires
a technological and an intellectual revolution; an alternative route to economic prosperity that preserves resources and limits carbon emissions has to be developed before it’s too late.
2014
Outlook on the global agenda 2015
World Economic Forum (WEF)
Rising regional disparities at the level of growth, employment and investment in local and regional authorities and connecting infrastructure
The global economic and financial crisis has weakened regional economic and social cohesion in the EU with diverging economic growth, employment and investment.
2014
Challenges at the horizon 2025
European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS)
Rising tensions with north Korea
North Korea may now be sending athletes to the Winter Olympics in South Korea, but the threat of war with America remains. While global stock markets haven't reacted much to a potential nuclear fallout, conflict continues to be a risk, says Tim Courtney, chief investment officer at Exencial Wealth Advisors, an Oklahoma City-based financial advisory firm.
2018
6 global trends that can derail your portfolio in 2018
CNBC
RNA-based Terapeutics
RNA-based therapeutics used artificial RNA with unique sequences that can selectively control target genes. The technology can be applied for therapeutic purposes by enabling the control of gene expression. The technology can also be employed in cell therapy through manipulation of stem cells.
2009
KISTEP 10 Emerging Technologies 2009
South Korea, Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP)
RNA-based Therapeutics
RNA is an essential molecule in cellular biology, translating genetic instructions encoded in DNA into the production of the proteins that enable cells to function. However, as protein production is also a central factor in most human diseases and disorders, RNA-based therapeutics have long been thought to hold the potential to treat a range of problems where conventional drug-based treatments cannot offer much help. The field has been slow to develop, however, with initial high hopes being dented by the sheer complexity of the effort and the need to better understand the variability of gene expression in cells. Over the past year, there has been a resurgence of interest in this new field of biotech healthcare, with two RNA-based treatments approved as human therapeutics as of 2014. RNA-based drugs for a range of conditions including genetic disorders, cancer and infectious disease are being developed based on the mechanism of RNA interference, which is used to silence the expression of defective or overexpressed genes. Extending the repertoire of RNA-based therapeutics, an even newer platform based on messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules is now emerging. Specific mRNA sequences injected intramuscularly or intravenously can act as therapeutic agents through the patient’s own cells, translating them into the corresponding proteins that deliver the therapeutic effect. Unlike treatments aimed at changing DNA directly, RNA-based therapeutics do not cause permanent changes to the cell’s genome and so can be increased or discontinued as necessary. Advances in basic RNA science, synthesis technology and in vivo delivery are combining to enable a new generation of RNA-based drugs that can attenuate the abundance of natural proteins, or allow for the in vivo production of optimized, therapeutic proteins. Working in collaboration with large pharmaceutical companies and academia, several private companies that aim to offer RNA-based treatments have been launched. We expect this field of healthcare to increasingly challenge conventional pharmaceuticals in forging new treatments for difficult diseases in the next few years.
2014
Top 10 emerging technologies for 2014
World Economic Forum (WEF)