Megatrends
The deep currents of change
Megatrends are the biggest drivers of change, significantly influencing all aspects of the economy and society – not only in the short term, but in the medium to long term.
They unfold their dynamics over decades. Megatrends name and describe extremely complex change dynamics and are a model for the transformation of the world: a method that helps to make the highly complex and diverse change dynamics of society in the 21st century understandable and tangible.
Quant uses the Zukunftsinstitut’s megatrends as part of the project development process. The use of the megatrends enables us to reduce the complexity of certain interdependencies to a comprehensible level. The megatrend map proves to be a navigation aid through the jungle of current and future change dynamics.
The Megatrend Map shows the twelve central megatrends of our time. Megatrends are never linear and one-dimensional, but diverse, complex and interconnected. They do not act in isolation, but influence each other and thus reinforce each other’s effect. The map therefore also shows the parallels and overlaps of megatrends.
The individual stations of a megatrend line in turn illustrate the different dimensions, facets and trend aspects. They depict the complexity of a megatrend and the diverse influencing factors that act in the environment of a megatrend.
Megatrends are deep currents of change – four central characteristics:
Duration.
The megtrend must have a half-life of at least 50 years.
Ubiquity.
Not being tied to one location. It must play a role in all areas of life and have a clear impact: in the economy, consumption, politics and everyday life.
Globality.
Megatrends are global phenomena. They are synchronous and asymmetrical at the same time: they can be observed in all societies around the globe, but are not equally pronounced everywhere.
Complexity.
Megatrends are multi-layered and multi-dimensional in nature. They represent an evolutionary pressure that permeates our society, economy and culture.
