Interest in personalised healthcare, mental health and holistic wellness regimens had been gaining traction steadily. With Covid-19 dramatically accelerating these pre-existing transitions, Futures Platform’s futurists anticipate that many of the pandemic-induced changes to the healthcare and wellness industries will be here to stay post-pandemic.

Social media platforms were already under increasing pressure to curb misinformation before 2020, and Covid-19 only added fuel to the fire. The atmosphere of uncertainty, the increased online activity and the ensuing information overload created the perfect conditions for misinformation to spread.

Along with tourism and the events industry, retail has been one of the most heavily affected sectors by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet, despite the sudden hit, we anticipate that the retail sector will bounce back with a renewed focus on experience design and human connection.

The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted virtually every sector, but the scope and nature of these effects differ significantly across industries. By understanding the future direction of these shifts, organisations can take advantage of these changes and set themselves up for success in the post-pandemic world.

In our article series, we zoom in on some specific areas and industries in the world that will emerge after the COVID-19 pandemic. This fourth instalment focuses on the pandemic’s impacts on Generation Z. The article is based on an analysis by Futures Platform, with insight from Jonah Stillman, the acclaimed Gen Z speaker and author, and Futures Platform’s Content Director Dr Tuomo Kuosa.

In our article series, we zoom in on some specific areas and industries in the world that will emerge after the COVID-19 pandemic. This third instalment is based on an analysis by Futures Platform, with insight from the founder and chairman of energy company St1 and climate change advocate Mika Anttonen and Futures Platform’s Senior Foresight Analyst Max Stucki.

In our new article series, we zoom in on some specific areas and industries in the world that will emerge after the COVID-19 pandemic. This second instalment focuses on the future of education in the post-COVID-19 world. The article is based on an analysis by Futures Platform, with insight from the acclaimed Futurist Speaker Thomas Frey and Futures Platform’s Foresight Manager Marianna Mäki-Teeri.

In our new article series, we zoom in on some specific areas and industries in the world that will emerge after the COVID-19 pandemic. This first instalment focuses on deglobalisation and the self-sufficient city post COVID-19.

The sudden drop in consumer demand is devastating to the growth and potentially hinders the development of the sharing economy as a whole. As long as the need for social distancing remains, financial damages are inevitable to companies whose sharing services are focused on travelling, vacations and social gatherings.

Do we start to see cities becoming more independent from the national states? Self-reliant cities could potentially produce up to 30% of the energy, food, water and good it consumes. Can cities provide for itself and become less dependent on the states?

The current pandemic has shown that global supply chains are highly sensitive to disruptions in times of crisis. It is possible that sooner or later the Western countries will start to repatriate at least the most critical supply chains from abroad. The key driver behind the repatriation is to ensure the security of supply. However, in some cases, economic benefits may play a part as well.

In the fight against the Coronavirus outbreak, Big Tech and corporations are joining forces to take the lead, whereas the role of national authorities has dwindled.