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Q: Business Trends over the Next 5 Years ( Answered 4 out of 5 stars,   0 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Business Trends over the Next 5 Years
Category: Business and Money
Asked by: olliemiles-ga
List Price: $40.00
Posted: 12 Nov 2002 12:29 PST
Expires: 12 Dec 2002 12:29 PST
Question ID: 106274
What are some great on-line, free or low cost sources of forecasts of
societal and business trends and scenarios for the next 5 years?
(e.g., futurist study, congress study projection of economic scenarios
etc.)


I need the web site for these sources. I have generally covered a lot
of the individual futurists. I am interested in broad trends but a few
sites that collectively provided insights regarding large sectors
would be fine. I am especially interested in the business side of
things. Broad categories also include technology, demographics,
environment, politics, economy, culture etc.
Answer  
Subject: Re: Business Trends over the Next 5 Years
Answered By: kyrie26-ga on 17 Nov 2002 20:48 PST
Rated:4 out of 5 stars
 
Hi olliemiles-ga,

Thank you for your question, it has been one of the most interesting
ones I have worked on, and I learned a lot too. Gives me some ideas on
what kind of stocks to invest in! Without much further ado, here is
the list :


==== WEBSITES (or microsites) ====

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

George Washington University : GW Forecast
http://www.gwforecast.gwu.edu/index.asp 

" People everywhere sense the world is passing through a profound
transformation, but they lack a convenient, reliable source of
information to guide their understanding and to help them make
decisions. The GW Forecast fills this need by bringing experts
together online to forecast forthcoming breakthroughs and
strategically plan for their impact. It can be thought of as a
"virtual think-tank" that conducts its work electronically. The
Forecast pools the collective knowledge of the world's best
authorities, and then automatically distributes the most accurate
possible forecasts based on this data to you -- anywhere in the world,
on any prominent emerging technology or strategic issue, in real time.
"

[click on Knowledge Base > Summary of Results]
[click on Knowledge Base > Latest Results]
[click on Knowledge Base > Articles]

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Businessweek : 21 ideas
http://www.businessweek.com/1999/99_35/2121_content.htm

"As humans, we're tempted to embrace a likely scenario and stick to
it. But in these volatile times, the smart idea is to pursue multiple
paths and not be afraid to change direction"


We Are Offering 21 Doors to the Future and Invite You to Explore
http://www.businessweek.com/1999/99_35/b3644002.htm

" So on the eve of the millennium, when everyone is drawing lines on
graphs to see where the world is headed, BUSINESS WEEK cut loose and
went nonlinear. In this summer special report, you won't find any
tables predicting Internet usage in 2020, mortality rates in 2030, or
per capita income in 2040.

Instead, we have compiled ''21 Ideas for the 21st Century.'' It's a
set of propositions, concepts, and vignettes that are in no particular
rank. And although we use the language of prediction, the real intent
is simply to put a lot of ideas on the table. "

"The notion underpinning this special report--let's call it the 22nd
idea--is that by pitting multiple scenarios of the future against one
another and leaving many different doors open, you can prepare
yourself for a future that is inherently unpredictable. Brainstorming
pays off. And the more possibilities you can entertain, the less
likely you are to be blindsided"

"For investors, too, scenario planning can be illuminating. The
Internet may be the single dominant theme in stock investing today.
But tomorrow's hottest trends could be in the biosciences,
nanotechnology, or--who knows?--industrial enzymes derived from life
on Mars (page 114)."

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

Future predictions using the latest trends and breakthroughs
http://www.futurefacing.com/

"Using the latest trends and breakthroughs to predict life in the
future"

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

Global Change Ltd
http://www.globalchange.com

"Trends Analysis and Organisational Development Global Change Services
for Fortune 500 companies / multinationals"

"Global forecasting - vital trends which affect corporate survival:
globalisation, economic instability, market changes, production and
distribution, technology, computers, networking, virtual offices,
socio-demographic changes, biotechnology, science, medicine, financial
services, tribalism, political changes, single issues, lifestyle
changes and global ethics."

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

Institute for the Future | Library
http://www.iftf.org/html/iftflibrary/

Reports in the library fall under six categories: 
- Demographics and Consumers
- Technology
- Business Organization and Distribution
- Human Resources and Intellectual Capital
- Public Policy
- Wild Cards

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

Welcome to the World Future Society
http://www.wfs.org/
"The WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY is a nonprofit educational and scientific
organization for people interested in how social and technological
developments are shaping the future."

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

How advances in technology may reshape humanity an illustrated
speculative timeline of future technology and social change
http://www.jrmooneyham.com/spint.html

" 2003 AD-2008 AD: Newborns get a Longer Lease on Life, Child
Entrepreneurs Reshape Business, Hollywood Shaken to its Roots
Hollywood studios and other 'big' entertainment institutions (and
their related elite) are being adversely impacted by PC and internet
developments; significant extensions to life expectancies for
newborns; child entrepreneurs are forcing big changes to business and
employment law and practices, as well as rules relating to legal
maturity and asset ownership; the net crashes some overpriced real
estate markets; battery life in consumer electronics is improving
dramatically; unmanned and remotely piloted aircraft (UAVs and RPVs)
expand the scope of news and information gathering for the media and
others (challenging the domination of public perceptions by individual
geopolitical states and mega-corporations). "

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

Battelle - Technology Forecasts
http://www.battelle.org/forecasts/default.stm

"Battelle's team of technology forecasters provides insight into the
technological innovations that will spell success for industry and
government in the future."

" Battelle's Technology Forecasts:
- Top Ten Technologies by 2005 
- Top Ten Most Innovative Products by 2006 
- Top Ten Breakthroughs for Household Products by 2007 
- Top Ten Challenges and Opportunities by 2008 
- Top Ten Healthy Home Trends by 2010 
- Top Ten Drivers of Consumer Value by 2010 
- Top Ten Energy Innovations by 2010 
- High Tech Haven: Forecast Predicts the Top Ten Innovations in Home
Comfort and Convenience in 2012
- Strategic Technologies by 2020 "

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

Special Report Emerging technologies
http://www.infoworld.com/testcenter/crystal.html

" Watching the future 
From e-cash to quantum computing, from Bluetooth to smart cards, Test
Center Future Watch takes a critical look at 15 cutting-edge
technologies that could radically change the way you do business "

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

The Chronicle of the Future
http://www.chronicle-future.co.uk/

"Welcome to your future - tomorrow's news today. We have mapped a path
from the already familiar landscape of life in 2000 through to the
uncharted territories of 2050..."

Categorized by topics including business, ecology, finance, health,
media, science, space, war, just to name a few.

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

Futurist.com
http://www.futurist.com
"Futurist.com is hosted by leading futurist Glen Hiemstra.  Keynote
Presentations and Programs are our leading services.  Science fiction
writer Brenda Cooper co-designed the original site in 1997, and now
regularly provides new content."

Futurist.com - Portal to the Future
http://www.futurist.com/portal_to_the_future.htm
Various articles categorized by topics such as business, space and
science, science fiction, etc.

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

Congressional Budget Office - Publications
http://www.cbo.gov/byclasscat.cfm?class=0&cat=0

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

Bureau of Labor Statistics : Economic and Employment Projections
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecopro.toc.htm

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

FaithPopcorn.com : Trends
http://www.faithpopcorn.com/trends/trends.htm

Visit this site for some interesting observations (and predictions) on
societal trends. They "Braille" the culture by connecting the dots to
find a trend [ http://www.faithpopcorn.com/trends/tips.htm ]. Very
interesting indeed, mostly observations on current trends, but also
includes projections of near future trends.

Some snippets :

FaithPopcorn.com : Trends : 99 Lives
http://www.faithpopcorn.com/trends/99_lives.htm
"I predict that by 2010, 90% of all consumer goods will be
home-delivered."

FaithPopcorn.com : Trends : Clanning
http://www.faithpopcorn.com/trends/clanning.htm
[quote]
"Superparents" may be the next Clan: with the booming market for
fertility drugs, twin births are up 42% over the last 15 years, and
for those really going for the gusto, births of triplets or more are
up 272% during the same period.
[unquote]

FaithPopcorn.com : Trends : Cocooning
http://www.faithpopcorn.com/trends/cocooning.htm
"The number of U.S. at-home workers is up 100% in the last 5 years,
for a total of 10.1 million. In 20 yrs, 1 in 7 workers will be a
full-time telecommuter."

+----------------------------------------------------------------+


==== ARTICLES ====

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

ZDNet Tech Update Enterprise Applications - Ten predictions to shake
your world
http://techupdate.zdnet.com/techupdate/stories/main/0,14179,2885192,00.html

"Gartner analysts took out their crystal balls and came up with a list
of ten predictions that will impact enterprise businesses. The
predictions cross over technology, economics, and social boundaries
that will morph during the next eight years."

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

RICH 200 Trends - Predictions Future fortunes
http://brw.com.au/newsadmin/stories/brw/19990528/2513.htm

[quote]
- By 2009, price deflation has spread to much of the economy as
technology makes deep inroads into the cost of doing just about
anything. Most routine business transactions take place between a
person and a virtual personality, often with a representation of a
human face. Bio-engineered treatments for cancer and heart disease
have dramatically cut mortality rates.
- By 2019, a $US1000 computer has computational power equal to the
human brain. But they are so embedded in our environment - chairs,
desks, clothes, jewellery, roads - that they are to all intents
invisible.
- In 2029, a $US1000 computer has the computational power of 1000
human brains. Direct neural pathways allow high-bandwidth connections
to the human brain. Automated agents are learning on their own, there
is debate about the legal rights of computers and what it means to be
human. Machines claim to be conscious.
- In 2099, most people have neural inputs to vastly expand their
perceptual and cognitive abilities. Machine-based intelligences claim
to be human and the term "life expectancy" is becoming irrelevant.
[unquote]

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

Magazine Articles on Future Trends (current)
http://www.magportal.com/c/sci/future/

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

Predictions for a millennium - 1999-01-04 - The Business Journal of
Portland
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/1999/01/04/editorial2.html

+----------------------------------------------------------------+

PROFITguide.com | PROFITmagazine | Article
http://www.profitguide.com/20th/issues_article.asp?ID=928

" 20 bold predictions for the next 20 years
What does the future hold for Canadian entrepreneurs? PROFIT polled
futurists, experts and CEOs for their predictions in the fields that
matter most. Our findings: new opportunities are exploding. And simply
doing business will get a lot easier. "

+----------------------------------------------------------------+


Google Search Terms :

trend OR trends prediction OR predictions

future trend OR trends

futurism OR futurist OR futurists

business futurism OR futurist OR futurists

future prediction OR predictions 

business OR commerce future prediction OR predictions 

business OR economic projection OR projections


Unsuccessful :

global socioeconomic OR socio-economic projection OR projections OR
prediction OR predictions

socioeconomic OR socio-economic projection OR projections OR
prediction OR predictions



I hope this is the answer you are looking for. If you need help or
have any questions, please do not hesitate to Request For
Clarification and I will be happy to assist. Thank you for using
Google Answers and all the best for your future (no pun intented)!


Regards,

kyrie26-ga
olliemiles-ga rated this answer:4 out of 5 stars
pretty good response and quite quick

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