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

E-work visas are reshaping how we work, live and travel. With many countries offering remote work visas and major tech companies developing virtual work software, the trend is now firmly in the mainstream.

A new wave of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services, which allow consumers to buy an item and pay later in interest-free instalments, have lately been shaking up the traditional credit card business. As a low-commitment, user-friendly and budget-focused alternative to credit cards, BNPLs are particularly favoured by tech-savvy Millennials and Generation Z, who are wary of credit cards.

As populations begin to demand businesses and governments to define their success in new metrics other than financial growth and economic prosperity, new routes for future economic systems are starting to take shape.

As more and more consumers demand sustainable products, manufacturers and policymakers are urged to respond to their needs and change the current linear growth model. With the “Right to repair” movement and self-healing materials, we may soon witness products with a longer lifetime, and a rapid transition towards the circular economy.

What role will Artificial Intelligence (AI) have in the workforce? How will economies and capitalism change in the future? In our webinar, Sitra’s Leading Foresight Analyst Mikko Dufva and Futures Platform’s Content Director Tuomo Kuosa discuss these themes and more.

What do the futures of work look like? Jerome C. Glenn from the Millennium Project shares 3 alternative future of work scenarios in 2050. How well can we anticipate both the incremental and more rapid consequences of transformation?

About 90% of the world's commodities are carried by the international shipping industry, annually. Liner shipping also transports around USD 4 trillion of goods yearly. There are more than 8,000 thousand of ports in over 200 countries worldwide. Here are their current challenges and future trends.

Programming was considered in the 60s and 70s a "geek activity," today it has become one of the high-paying jobs. But programmers are no less susceptible than everyone else when it comes to losing their jobs. In this article, we ask the question, "will programmers still have a job in the future?”

You take off from home, get in your car, arrive at the company office, take the elevator, and sit at your desk. For most white-collar workers, that used to be a typical routine. You get your work done at your desk in the company's offices. But in the past couple of years there has been a growing trend toward co-shared office spaces. In this article, have a look at this trend.

In this article, we go through the future of work, through 4 prisms: industry and manufacturing; automation, AI, and robotics; business and value chains; and work and income.

The banking industry hasn't been as disrupted as other industries by emerging technologies. Indeed, the bank where you open your first account is likely the same you'll stay with for the rest of your life. But a few interesting things have begun happening. First, open banking regulation will allow new services to emerge. Second, automation is changing the face of retail banking. And, third, new players and services are reshaping the payment landscape.

With the arrival of 4th industrial revolution, automation and AI, the future of employment could look very different.

Earlier this year, 7-Eleven opened its first fully-automated store. It is located in Seoul, South Korea, in the world's 5th largest building. For now, it's only open to employees of Lotte, owner of Korea Seven. But soon, fully-automated stores could open everywhere.

Arguably the most significant driver of change in real estate is the tidal wave of urbanisation. This new wave of urbanisation is linked with many major changes, such as digitalisation, development of science and technology, changes in values and customer needs, sharing economy, experience economy, and innovation economy.

Bitcoin value increased more than 500% since the beginning of the year. This is tens of times more than the growth of any high-growth tech company on NASDAQ or the NYSE over the last year. Even better, if you invested $100 in Bitcoin in 2010, today you'd be a multimillionaire. This has gotten many people thinking: Are cryptocurrencies the future?

How can you identify reliable knowledge sources and trustworthy experts? What types of knowledge or information need to be memorised, learnt, comprehended, and mastered? How is reliable knowledge created, how should we access it, and what kind of knowledge should be saved?

Data and AI technologies are driving the development of our industries; and a demand for experts in STEM-related fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), and wages paid in those jobs, are growing fast in many countries.

Cash is still king in many countries, even with the advent of debit and credit cards. But now cash and card payments are facing a challenge from new foes - smartphones and social platforms. With over one-third of the world having access to smartphones, and their high penetration in developed countries, will we still need to carry our wallets around?

The Blockchain is the technology behind cryptocurrency Bitcoin. It is one of the most discussed emerging technologies by the financial sector and seen as the next technological revolution by social and cultural visionaries. But is it hype, or a real technological change in progress?

Owning an autonomous vehicle makes little or no sense in the future unless you run a taxi or delivery service. Self-driving cars will be constantly available all around our cities. They run without cease and only stop for recharging or servicing. People may own vehicles for some off-purposes, but the roles of owned vehicles will be much alike those of horses today.

Finding new friends and partners online is already very common, but have you considered searching for a roommate for co-living? Co-living match does not need to be made in heaven; when instead, an algorithm will sort it out while you share enough of your personal details on a co-living service, the number of which is growing.

Our world is run by cities. Not only are they the locus of economic and political power, entertainment, and media, but they are also growing. And fast. Yet, there will always be a demand for a different lifestyle - away from the city. Today, we have suburbs and the countryside. But could there be a new type of residential area addressing a gap not yet filled? Welcome to high-tech eco-villages.