Climate Change and Energy Transformation
Renewable energies, an emerging hydrogen economy, and cutting-edge storage and battery technologies are driving the energy transformation toward carbon neutrality. Circular economies, environmentally friendly materials, and innovative food tech solutions for sustainable agriculture complement this ecosystem - climate change as an economic opportunity.
Demographic change
Ageing population and silver economy, declining birth rates in the West and East with simultaneous growth in the Center and South, rapid urbanization and the fragmentation of traditional family structures are fundamentally shifting demand, labor supply and welfare models.
Artificial Intelligence, Large Language Models and Agentic AI
Widely available and constantly improving large language models have triggered an avalanche of new commercially viable application areas. From content generation for (social) media to increased efficiency in software development to the automation of business processes, especially in sales and customer service.
Automation, Robotics, Autonomous Vehicles and Drones
Enormous advances in AI-based control technology and increasingly compact and powerful drives for robots and drones are breaking through old application boundaries. More and more "dark factories" and more and more autonomous vehicles and drones are increasing productivity across the entire value chain, from raw material mining to drones delivering packages.
Cloud, Edge and Quantum Computing
Enormous advances in AI-based control technology and increasingly compact and powerful drives for robots and drones are breaking through old application boundaries. More and more "dark factories" and more and more autonomous vehicles and drones are increasing productivity across the entire value chain, from raw material mining to drones delivering packages.
Geopolitical Tensions and De-Globalization
New global alliances are displacing old dominant positions, and the battle for dominant future technologies is accelerating selective de-globalization. Conflicts over scarce resources and volatile supply chains are forcing companies to develop strategic resilience, regional diversification, and new cooperation patterns.
Revival of Defense Tech and Focus on Multi-Arena-Defensibility
Global tensions and shifting alliances are revitalizing the defense industry. Significant investments are flowing into both traditional defense technologies and innovations based on the latest technology - AI and drones. Future conflicts will be fought simultaneously in multiple arenas: land, sea, air, space, cyberspace, and social media.
Reorganizing global supply chains and revitalizing local manufacturing
Several waves of supply chain disruption (pandemics, global conflicts, etc.) have highlighted the volatility of global supply chains. Targeted decoupling and the development of local production capacities for strategically important goods are leading to significant investments in the latest (automation) technology
Global Powerhouse China
The world's largest manufacturing hub is pushing toward forward integration. Already a master in manufacturing engineering and increasingly in all key product technologies, China is gaining global recognition as a technology giant. From securing complete supply chains through strategic alliances (including with Africa), to materials engineering, energy and transportation technology (cars, aircraft, ships), to semiconductors and AI, Chinese brands are becoming fierce competitors even in the premium segment (Huawei, BYD, Comac, Deepseek, etc.).
Change in customer behavior and attitude
Changing values are shaping all customer generations: ownership is taking a back seat, "renting instead of buying" is dominating, and traditional brands are losing authority. Ethics, sustainability, and health & well-being are becoming key purchasing criteria – social media is transforming from a branding channel to a lead generator and integrated e-commerce.
New business models and platform economy
Platform capitalism and "as-a-service" services are shifting value creation from products to continuous ecosystems. Decentralized finance (DeFi) and an emerging metaverse and virtual economy are opening up radically new revenue streams.
Future of Work
Remote and hybrid work are becoming the norm, while AI is augmenting white-collar roles and the gig economy is embedding flexible employment models. Employees expect meaningfulness as well as continuous development; lifelong learning is evolving from a benefit to a strategic imperative.
Capital markets and economic disruptions
Inflation is forcing central banks to make abrupt monetary policy shifts, while high government debt and expansive fiscal policy are putting pressure on traditional capital markets. At the same time, a continuing venture capital and technology investment boom is fueling new valuation levels, which are finding additional liquidity through digital payment systems and cryptocurrencies.
Alternatives to SWIFT and Dollar, Blockchain as an opportunity
The importance of the dollar as a global trading and reserve currency and of SWIFT as a central payment platform is eroding. Emerging nations and alliances are establishing new trading alliances and payment systems. Blockchain is replacing the need for centralized trust authorities (banks).
ESG - Environmental, Social and Governance and Regulatory Environment
Stricter ESG reporting requirements make environmental and social externalities visible – non-compliance jeopardizes financing and market access. ESG-based risks, from supply chain disruptions to reputational damage, are therefore becoming the core of proactive business continuity management. Industry-specific regulations prescribe detailed standards, and regional regulations create a mosaic of diverging requirements.