Trends Identified
Loot Boxes to be Banned Across Europe & North America
Found in video games, loot boxes are in-game packs often gifted to players as a result of completing in-game tasks and achievements. Increasingly, these are made available to purchase with real-world currency. As this practice involves a degree of luck, cases are being made that this constitutes a form of gambling and public bodies have requested that it be regulated. Notable action has been taken in the Netherlands and Belgium against the game publisher, EA Sports, regarding their FIFA titles, in which loot boxes are a prevalent feature. The most pressing issue that law makers face is the ability for these services to be accessed by minors. Juniper Research believes that 2019 will be the year in which loot boxes are banned. This will leave games publishers with the task of developing and distributing game updates that remove this functionality with immediate effect. Related Research: The Future of Sports Content: Technologies, Broadcast Strategies & eSports 2018-2023
2019
Top Tech trends 2019
Juniper Research
Looking ahead, the projected structural shifts to the service sector could create complex pressures on job quality
Internal and external forces, such as technological progress, capital accumulation, globalization, demo- graphics and government policies, are expected to continue to spur the reallocation of employment across sectors of production. Across all income groups, an ever-increasing number of workers are projected to be employed in the service sector, while the employment share in agriculture is set to con- tinue its long-term downward trend. Furthermore, the share of manufacturing employment is expected to continue its decline in upper middle-income and developed countries, and to grow only marginally in lower middle-income ones. This confirms the ongoing trend of “premature deindustrialization”, whereby lower-income countries are seeing declining shares of industrial employment at earlier stages of development compared to developed countries.
2018
World Employment and Social Outlook
International Labour Organization (ILO)
Look who’s talking
The rapid adoption of technology and the spoken word to enrich our lives.
2019
Trends 2019
Mindshare
Look inside-out for growth
Across the survey rang a general theme of hunkering down as CEOs adapt to the strong nationalist and populist sentiment sweeping the globe. The threats they consider most pressing are less existential (e.g. terrorism, climate change) and more related to the ease of doing business in the markets where they operate (e.g. overregulation, policy uncertainty, availability of key skills, trade conflicts). When asked to identify the most attractive foreign markets for investment, CEOs are narrowing their choices and expressing more uncertainty.
2019
22nd Annual global CEO survey
PWC
Longer life
The average life expectancy in the West has risen extremely fast. In combination with a falling birth rate this leads to ageing of the population, and — consequently — turns care of the elderly into a challenge. Especially, when it comes to informal (family) care for women. The growing demand for healthcare is also felt on the labour market. Almost 75% of the primary caregivers is female, and more than 30% of the people caring for a family member also has a job [EC, 2012]. Work and informal caregiving are in each other’s way.
2014
Horizon scan 2050
Netherlands, The Netherlands Study Centre for Technology Trends (STT)
Long-term weather forecasts with long lead times
The role of long-term weather forecasting with a large lead time and a success rate exceeding climate forecasts will grow in environmental forecasting (in particular, dangerous natural phenomena) and economic planning (natural resources and economic risks affected by the climate, trends in climate dependent economic sectors, etc.), which will in turn contribute to the achievement of sustainable development and the security of the country.
2016
Russia 2030: science and technology foresight
Russia, Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation
Living in an urban world
Urbanisation is an integral aspect of development. As countries transition from primarily agricultural economies, the shift to cities offers substantial productivity gains. Jobs and earnings in urban settings create strong incentives for internal migration, often reinforced by government policies and environmental degradation. Only later in economic development do urban-rural disparities begin to dissipate, easing the pressure for further urbanisation. Together, these drivers have brought extraordinary changes to the geographical distribution of humanity during the last century. Whereas just 10–15 % of the global population lived in urban areas in the early 20th century, that figure had risen to 50 % by 2010 (WBGU, 2011) and is projected to reach 67 % by 2050 (UN, 2012). Almost all of that growth is expected to occur in today's developing regions, with urban populations there increasing from 2.6 billion in 2010 to 5.1 billion in 2050.
2015
Assessment of global megatrends - an update
European Environment Agency (EEA)
Live and kicking
‘Live’ moments are very much alive and kicking, as technology brings us together to share our experiences in real time.
2019
Trends 2019
Mindshare
Lithium-air Battery
The secondary battery that uses electric power generated by the combination of Li metal and atmospheric oxygen. As this battery provides 10 times larger capacity that existing batteries, it will be widely used for mobile power supply for electronic cars, mobile phones and laptop, etc.
2011
KISTEP 10 Emerging Technologies 2011
South Korea, Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP)