The institute’s mega trend research processes are based on its own PELS matrix which considers politics, economics, legitimacy and society and the collected data are evaluated using AI-driven analytics tools. The researchers expect results to remain stable over the coming decades with no entirely new developments identified, but a continuation and consolidation of existing trends.
Eco Proposition.
Sustainability is no longer simply a nice-to-have, but is fundamentally changing how businesses think. The Eco Proposition is expanding on our former Value Proposition and becoming an integral part of the corporate strategy, spanning the value of our offerings to our customers as well as on an entrepreneurial and ecological level. This trend is being driven first and foremost by society (NGOs) and by political regulations, but the Zukunftsinstitut also cites green finance, i.e. investments in ecological business practices and sustainably-oriented businesses as factors. In 2023, the proportion of green start-ups Germany hit the record heights of 35% and the Environmental Technology Atlas for Germany predicts growth in the green technology market to hit 8.1 per cent annually on the back of investments increasingly being made into young businesses striving to resolve societal and ecological issues i.e. those with Eco Propositions.
The Future Report highlights Apple as an example among the big tech players on the market. To achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030, the company is utilising sustainable materials and plastic-free packaging, recycled aluminium and renewable energies in its stores, offices and data centres. Take a look at the video of Tim Cook and his management team’s report to Mother Nature, which aims to convey Apple’s new Eco Proposition in an entertaining way. Transformation goes hand in hand with communication, which ultimately reinforces the trend.
The techno-social world of work.
The relationship between people and technologies is becoming symbiotic giving businesses four focal areas that will give them a competitive edge.
1. Multidimensional technology expertise.
Businesses are establishing cross employee expertise and everyone, including management, has a good understanding of digital technologies and processes as well as their effects. The various departments cooperate flexibly using technology, consigning silos to the history books. Change is a constant and transformation far from a one-off, rather an ongoing process.
2. Human experience.
The growing importance of technology brings with it some social aspects. Thanks to personal interactions, meaningful work and greater effectiveness, employees benefit from support and appreciation. In an ideal world, techno-social expertise will develop company-wide to support the seamless switch between tech-based and personal collaboration.
3. Evolving areas of responsibility.
Job profiles and career paths are adapting to changing work. Employees are increasingly taking on the operation, control and monitoring of AI-powered machines, exercising decentralised autonomy, decision-making ability and authority. They remain perfectly qualified thanks to strategic training courses.
4. AI companionship.
In a techno-social world of work, AI will transform from a tool into a colleague, becoming your assistant, collaborative partner and inspiration. We can achieve more working together and that means understanding AI, teaching it, cooperating with it, questioning it—and keeping a very close eye on it as a new form of collaboration that needs to be honed.
Digital work skills.
The way we work has undergone significant changes. We are no longer tied to a fixed location, but flexible when it comes to when and where we work embracing hybrid working methods and spending more time online than off. The result is a culture of more intensive work, greater distractions and constant availability underscored by endless calls and meetings leading to digital fatigue.
The digital work skills of the future will, therefore, be focused more on asynchronous communications rather than synchronous meetings to allow for longer periods of undisturbed, focused work as well as time for breaks and reflection. It is now more important then ever to consider workloads, mental health, realistic capacity planning and employees’ individual interests and development opportunities.
The lightning fast adaptation of generative AI tools will become the norm and their clever use will be a topic of interest. In the near future, there will be a permanent digital layer between us and reality either thanks to AR/VR smart glasses or voice interactions through an earbud and we need to prepare ourselves for that and lay some ground rules to ward off the next level of digital fatigue.
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