2022 was a year of great upheaval and change, with a series of political and economic crises that will reverberate for many years to come. Looking back to the year, our team of futurists highlight five trends that shaped the trajectory of 2022 and will continue to shape the future.

Population growth rates are stagnating in many countries around the world, but the economics of a declining population is still uncharted territory for modern economic theory. How will our growth-based economic systems fare when the population declines?

It may seem like there’s more technological innovation than ever today, but more innovation doesn’t necessarily mean more economic growth.

With the steep rise in volumes of counterfeit consumer goods entering the global marketplace, brands, retailers, and governments are facing new challenges.

With the exponential growth of Asian economies, the consumption balance is shifting from the West towards the emerging markets in Asia.

The current pandemic has shown that global supply chains are highly sensitive to disruptions in times of crisis. It is possible that sooner or later the Western countries will start to repatriate at least the most critical supply chains from abroad. The key driver behind the repatriation is to ensure the security of supply. However, in some cases, economic benefits may play a part as well.