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

Poor institutional performance, slow response to the global agenda, and increasing economic inequalities are among the main drivers causing a global decline in trust in public authorities and political leaders.

Discussions about financial support mechanisms for the losers of globalisation and the economic crises, about the joint handling of the refugee issue, joint police efforts – in other words, about solidarity in general in Europe – show that further European integration is challenged.

Ray Kurzweil, one of the world’s leading inventors, thinkers, and futurists, stated in a recent interview that we are going to witness the end of the nation-state as we've known it. He believes that the elementary particles of the classical world order are about to change as technology will keep on making our borders less and less relevant.