We
all ought to take some time to consider what the world in which we
live will look like in 2050 and beyond. I know I do, since my kids,
grandkids, and great grandkids will hopefully be around then and well
into the 22nd century.
The
following is a brief collection of predictions about Business,
Manufacturing, and Global Trade
by 2050 that
you might find interesting.
These predictions were extracted from multiple reports
and studies by groups around the world focused on the future of
America and this planet.
So
here goes! Expect the following predictions and/or future scenarios
to become a reality over the next few decades:
- Collaboration,
'Open' Solutions, Sharing, and a focus on continuous Innovation will
be the key business strategies pursued by most industries.
- Global
standards will be in place for almost all industries, e.g.
technology, medicine, manufacturing, transportation,
telecommunications...
- Use
of Smart 3D Printers and Advanced Manufacturing Techniques will
transform manufacturing and become
the norm. Visit the
COSI
'Open' Manufacturing web portal.
- Many
new materials for housing, clothing, technology ... will be
developed and used, e.g. carbon nano-materials, self-healing
concrete, wear-resistant alloys...
- Hi-tech,
intelligent buildings powered by alternative energy sources will be
used by most growing and forward-thinking companies.
- The
market for the Internet of Things (IoT) will be huge, consisting of
trillions of interconnected devices of all sorts.
- The
telecommuting workforce across the U.S. and around the world will
continue to grow.
- 'Smart Factories' using Industry 4.0 technologies will dramatically change manufacturing as we currently know it.
- The
U.S. dollar will lose its global dominance by 2025 as the Euro and
China's currency become co-equals in a "multi-currency"
global monetary system.
- India's
economy will finally rival that of China and the U.S. by 2050. In
addition, Brazil, Mexico and Indonesia will begin to rival the
economies of the U.K. and France by 2030, while Nigeria and Vietnam
could become the fastest growing economies through 2050.
- New
financial systems, economic development, business models and tools
will have emerged, e.g. Bitcoin, Micro-financing, Electronic
Wallets.
- Many
countries will continue to move from commodity-based to
service-based economies. Read
the World
Business Council Vision 2050 report
- The
official end of the 'Oil Age' and use of fossil fuels on Earth will
occur by 2050. Renewable
energy will
provide up to 80% of U.S. needs and
both
the high cost and scarcity of energy on Earth will be a thing of the
past.
- Average
global temperatures will have risen by more than 4°F by 2050 making
storms far more intense, e.g. hurricanes, tornados, cyclones.
- Sea
levels across the globe will rise by a little over 3 feet, flooding
large swaths of low lying coastal areas in the U.S. around the world
- Approximately
5 billion of the world's projected 10 billion people will live in
water-stressed and food-scarce areas leading to the potential of
mass migrations and regional conflicts.
- There
will be another 1,000-fold increase in computer power, data
transmission rates, storage, ...
- There
will be widespread use of drone technology by many industries, e.g.
agriculture, military, government, transportation.
- Mobile
solutions will rapidly evolve as the world embraces a wide range of
wearable technologies. In addition, implantable technologies will
start to gain widespread acceptance for use in many industries, e.g.
healthcare, defense, transportation, ...
- Hi-tech,
self-driving electric cars will largely dominate the automobile
industry by 2050.
- High-speed
rail routes between major cities across the U.S. and around the
world will largely be in place.
- Many
other new technological breakthroughs will be developed just in time
to boost economic productivity and solve many of the challenges and
problems caused by a growing world population, rapid urbanization,
climate change, space travel, ...
What
else do you think will happen by 2050? What does all
this mean to you?Your business? Career?
