Our content, the phenomena/trends, have been sectioned into 30 main themes.
Below is a list of Futures Platform’s 30 main themes. Each of them is followed by a sample list of phenomena connected to the theme. By clicking the links on the list, you will be directed to the right location.
We have built a taxonomy linking the different fields of Futures Platform's foresight material, and the 30 main themes represent its culmination. The production of the taxonomy was completed in several stages and took a year to finish. During the first stage, we examined NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) and SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) to collect hundreds of keywords which had been used for classification.
From the keywords, we chose about 150 high and middle-level ones, which together sufficiently covered all possible foresight, and in practice all global, themes, without being too general or too specific. After this, the words were combined into larger groups, some dozens in total initially. These keyword groups received high-level names, such as logistics.
Next, Futures Platform’s content Advisory Board commented on the taxonomy, and we tested the classification by connecting some phenomena from our database with it. After several test stages, we ended up adding over 50 new keywords to our taxonomy, after which we experimented with several different ways to regroup the entire system. For example, we separated transportation and logistics from each other to be independent themes.
Having done the regrouping, the possible number of themes varied from 15 to 50. We decided to choose a point between the two extremes, which led to 30. We tested the new taxonomy for a couple of times more and changed some keywords between the groups. Finally, we ended up with the present taxonomy of 30 themes.
Below we you can see a selection of phenomena of each 30 main theme that we have. On Futures Platform, you can view all phenomena connected to a specific theme by using the tag filter function in the content explorer. Please notice that we also have ready-to-use radar templates of all 30 themes. The templates can be accessed while creating a new radar.
1. Nature
2. Climate Change
3. Raw Materials
4. Food
5. Energy
6. Industry & Manufacturing
7. Construction & Urbanisation
8. Freight & Logistics
9. Private & Public Transport
10. Communication & Media
11. Education & Knowledge
12. Sciences & Research
13. Data & Digitalisation
14. Artificial Intelligence
15. Extended Reality VR / AR
16. Population
17. Health & Wellbeing
18. Values & Ethics
19. Leisure & Lifestyles
20. Sustainability & Recycling
21. Business
22. Services
23. Management & HR
24. Work & Income
25. Finance & Ownership
26. Politics & Policies
27. Public Governance
28. Security & Safety
29. Countries & Regions
30. Global Economy
1. Nature
Animal Rights
Biodiversity
Coronal Mass Ejection of the Sun
Destruction of Biosphere Reserves
Ecosystems amidst Climate Change
Forestation
Global Greening
Melting Antarctica & Rising Sea Levels
Permafrost
Pollinators
Seaweed Potential
Supervolcano Eruption Leads to Nuclear Winter
Untouched Nature
Weakening Gulf Stream
Wild Animal Species
2. Climate Change
Biodiversity
Climate Anxiety
Climate Refugees and Migration
Ecosystems amidst Climate Change
Environmental and Pigouvian Taxes
Forestation
Global Greening
Melting Antarctica & Rising Sea Levels
Permafrost
CO2 Capture and Repurposing
Solar Radiation Management
Super Hurricanes
Uninhabitable Hothouse Earth
Weakening Gulf Stream
Zero-Emission Countries
3. Raw Materials
Asphalt from Waste
Asteroid Mining
Biochar
Dumps to Mines
Glass Battery with Increasing Capacity
Grown From Mushrooms
Moon Mining
Nanotechnologies and Materials
Phosphorus Sufficiency
Rare-Earth Elements
Sand Suitable for Building
Seaweed Potential
Synthetic Biology
Use of Fossil Fuels
Wood-based Textiles
4. Food
3D-Printed Food
Artificial Meat
Desert as Bread Basket
Farming without Pesticides
Food Scanners
Growing Rice in Salt Water
LED Lights in Food Production
Molecular Gastronomy
Moringa Tree as a Food Source
Over 100 Nobel Laureates Support GMO Safety
Protein Out of Air & Electricity
Robot Chef
Robotic Farming
Vegetarian Proteins
Vertical farming
5. Energy
Biofuels
Dependency on Electric Grids and Data Networks
Electricity-Producing Bacteria
Energy Blackmail
Formic Acid Fuel
Fusion Power – Helium 3
Hydrogen Economy
Microgrids
Small Nuclear Power Plants
Smart Grids
Solar Power
Solar Satellites
Use of Fossil Fuels
Use of Wind Power
Wireless Power Transmission
6. Industry & Manufacturing
3D Printing
Circular Economy
Cleantech
Dumps to Mines
Flying Industrial Robots
Industrial Internet
Industrial Revolution 4.0
Industry Disruptors
Internet of Things (IoT)
Molecular Machines
Point Clouds & 3D Laser Scanning
CO2 Capture and Repurposing
Return of Heavy Industry
Swarm Printing
Voice and Gesture Control
7. Construction & Urbanisation
3D Printing Full-Sized Houses
Augmented Urban Reality
Biodomes
Car-Free City Centres
Construction Search Engine
Digital Real Estate Business
Efficient Use of Space
Floating Cities
Hybrid Construction and Buildings
Internet of Things (IoT)
Parking
Sand Suitable for Building
Smart Homes
Urbanisation
Whole Life Inside City Interiors
8. Freight & Logistics
Cargo Ports Become Unnecessary
City Self-Sufficiency
Retail in Brick and Mortar Stores
Flying Goods and People in Cities
Industrial Revolution 4.0
Local Production through 3D Printing
Maritime Robotics
Metallic Hydrogen
New Era in Logistics
Powered Exoskeleton
Return of Heavy Industry
Return of the Zeppelin
Road Traffic as Software
Space Elevator
Tires for Flying Cars
9. Private & Public Transport
Bicycle Highways
Car Ownership
Car-Free City Centres
Driving and Driver's License
Electric Cars
Flying Cars
High Speed Travel
Hyperloop as a Connector of the World
Passenger Cabins on Robot Platforms
Passenger Economy
Road Deaths and Car Repairs
Road Traffic as Software
Robot Cars and Taxis
SkyPod Elevator
Space Tourism
10. Communication & Media
Clickbait Journalism
Collapse of General Knowledge
Completely Corrupted Internet
Deepfake Videos
Dialogue-based Knowledge
Digital Crime
Disinformation
Exponential Times
Free Speech on the Internet
Journalism
Malfunctioning Communication
Real-time Translation Software
Rising Value of Data
Software Robots as Journalists
Telepresence and the Use of Avatars
11. Education & Knowledge
At least One Million New Data Scientists Needed
Collapse of General Knowledge
Collapse of Language Learning
Dialogue-based Knowledge
Digital Humanities
Intelligence Amplification (IA)
Neo-Generalists
Programming School 42
Real-Time Data
Rise of Liberal Arts
Rising Value of Data
Scalable Learning
Schools without Teachers
Teaching and Learning 2.0
Value of Degrees
12. Sciences & Research
6G Wireless Network
Algorithmic Biology
CRISPR
DNA Data Storage
Human Body Garage
Human Brain-AI Symbiosis
Molecular Machines
Nanotechnologies and Materials
Omics for Health
Over 100 Nobel Laureates Support GMO Safety
Powered Exoskeleton
Quantum Levitation
Quantum State Teleportation
Synthetic Biology
Warp Drive as Seen in Star Trek
13. Data & Digitalisation
5G Wireless Network
Big data
Blockchain Revolution
Cloud Storage
Completely Corrupted Internet
Dark Web
Dataism as a New Religion
Dependency on Electric Grids and Data Networks
Digital Humanities
Internet of Everything (IoE)
Polymorphic Encryption
Quantum Computers
Road Traffic as Software
Smart and Connected Countryside
Smart Homes
14. Artificial Intelligence
AI Games
AI Machine Intelligence
AI Machine Learning
AI Robotics
AI That Writes Itself
Apocalyptic AI
Artificial Creativity
Flying Industrial Robots
Home Robots
Human Brain-AI Symbiosis
Intelligence Amplification (IA)
Maritime Robotics
Moral Machine Experiment
Transhumanism as a New Religion
Unfathomable AI
15. Extended Reality VR / AR
AR Historic Geoinformation
AR-Assisted Surgery
Augmented Reality
Cryptocurrencies
Electronic Sports
Haptic VR Controller
Holographic Display Holovect
Intelligent Augmented Reality (IAR)
Programming in VR
Separate Monitors
Smart Helmets
Telediagnostics, Remote Maintenance & Remote Upkeep
Telepresence and the Use of Avatars
Virtual Reality
VR and AR in Healthcare
16. Population
Adapted Ethnicity
Africa’s Rise
After Death Services
Ageing World Population
Alienated Young Men
Beating Death Itself
Birth Rates
Climate Refugees and Migration
Global Citizenship
New Pensioners
Older than Ever
Urbanisation
World Population
World’s Megacities
Youth Bulge
17. Health & Wellbeing
AI in Healthcare
Beating Death Itself
Cheap and Accurate DNA Tests
CRISPR
Deadly pandemics
Gut Bacteria Affects Mood
Human Body Garage
Increasing Health Requirements
Incurable, Widespread Diseases
Medical Tourism
Medical Tricorder from Star Trek
Omics for Health
Perfect Baby
Personalised Medicine
Telecare and Self Care
18. Values & Ethics
Animal Rights
Clash of Social Bubbles
Climate Anxiety
Dataism as a New Religion
Ethics of AI
Euthanasia
Importance of Religion in Arab Countries
Importance of Significance
Increasing Religiousness
Liberal Democracy
Liberal Individualism
Male Power
Tightening Ethical Criteria
Transhumanism as a New Religion
Xenophobia vs. Acceptance
19. Leisure & Lifestyles
AI & Robot Music
Attention Economy
Electronic Sports
Escape from Reality
Experiences through Gamification
Gig Economy
High Speed Travel
Multidisciplinary Artists
New Extreme Gadgets
Privacy Invasion 24/7
Quantified Self
Social Ranking Systems
Technology-free Zones
Valuing Free Time
Ways to Use Free Time
Whole Life Inside City Interiors
20. Sustainability & Recycling
Circular Economy
City Self-Sufficiency
Cleantech
Climate Anxiety
CO2 to Fuel through Solar Power
Concrete Out of Waste
Dumps to Mines
Environmental and Pigouvian Taxes
Farming without Pesticides
Phosphorus Sufficiency
Protein Out of Air & Electricity
Rapid Recycling
Recycling Robots
CO2 Capture and Repurposing
Zero-Emission Countries
21. Business
Automated Supermarket
Business Ecosystem Customership
Concept Economy
Current Middlemen
Retail in Brick and Mortar Stores
From Products to Relationships
From Stores to Showrooms
Hyped for Nothing
Industry Disruptors
Leased Standard of Living
New Era in Logistics
Online stores
Personalised Pricing
Platform Economy
Sharing Economy
22. Services
Atmosphere Design
Attention Economy
Business Ecosystem Customership
Digital Real Estate Business
Freemium
Gig Economy
Leased Standard of Living
Multinationals Promoting Travel Destinations
Ownership
Passenger Economy
Pensioner Tourism to Become the Largest Sector of Economy
Platform Economy
Sharing Economy
Wellbeing Centres
Whole Life Inside City Interiors
23. Management & HR
Agility and Adaptability
Autonomous Teamwork (Holacracy)
Change of Expertise
Continuous Assessment and Dialogue
Crowdsourcing
Employment Discrimination
Gig Economy
Leadership Crisis
Malfunctioning Communication
Monumental Organizations
Participatory Budgeting
Self-determination Replacing Control
Swarm Work (Micro- and Macrotasking)
Value of Degrees
Weakening Dedication and Engagement
24. Work & Income
Artificial & Robot Co-workers
Citizen Entrepreneurship
Driving as a Job
Future Without Work
Generation Z Enters Work Markets
Gig Economy
New Types of Retirement Plans
Offshoring
Relevance of Low Wages
Return of Heavy Industry
Sharing as Work and Culture
Swarm Work (Micro- and Macrotasking)
Universal Basic Income
Valuing Free Time
Working Poor in Sharing Economy
25. Finance & Ownership
Blockchain Revolution
Capitalism in Crisis
Cashless Societies
Collapse of World Economy
Collapsing Housing Markets
Crowdfunding
Cryptocurrencies
Disruptions in Finance
Financial Technology
Future Without Work
Hyped for Nothing
Impact Investments
Industry Disruptors
Personal Finance Apps
Revolut Bank
26. Politics & Policies
City-States
Clash of Social Bubbles
End of Nation States
Leadership Crisis
Liberal Democracy
Monumental Organizations
New Democracy
Participatory Budgeting
Participatory Democracy
Populism
Rise of Nationalism
Rule of Law
World's Geopolitical Transformation
Xenophobia vs. Acceptance
Y Generation to Leading Positions
27. Public Governance
Blockchain Revolution
Cashless Societies
Complaint Bots
Copyright
Cryptocurrencies
Dark Web
Environmental and Pigouvian Taxes
Invisible Online Surveillance
Non-Financial Reporting
Polymorphic Encryption
Privacy Invasion 24/7
Ransomware
Rule of Law
Transparent Society
Violence Against Officials
28. Security & Safety
Activism Terrorism
Bioterrorism
Complaint Bots
Coronal Mass Ejection of the Sun
Cyberwarfare
Cybersecurity
Dark Web
Deepfake Videos
Hybrid Warfare
Major War in the Middle East
Military and Police Drones
Polymorphic Encryption
Risk of Violent Death
Road Hackers
Violence Against Officials
29. Countries & Regions
Africa Continental Free Trade Area
Africa’s Rise
Breakup of UK
BRICS Countries
Cashless Societies
Chinese Dominance in Africa
Civil War in the US
End of Nation States
European Separatists
Global Citizenship
Importance of Religion in Arab Countries
Internationalization of Italian Organized Crime
Runet – Russia’s Internal Internet
World's Geopolitical Transformation
World’s Megacities
30. Global Economy
Africa Continental Free Trade Area
Africa’s Rise
BRICS Countries
Business Ecosystem Customership
China’s Foreign Acquisitions
China No1 Economy
Collapse of China
Collapse of Eurozone
Collapse of Russia
Collapse of World Economy
Deglobalisation
Dependency on Electric Grids and Data Networks
Industry Disruptors
New Era in Logistics
Rise of global oligarchs