The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has identified the global megatrends expected to shape Australia’s future over the next 20 years.
In a new once-in-a-decade report, Chief Executive of CSIRO, Larry Marshall said that with an outlook to 2042, the Our Future World explores the geopolitical, economic, social, technological and environmental forces unfolding around the world, and predicted their likely impact on Australia’s people, Governments and businesses.
“Megatrends help us to understand the challenges and massive opportunities that will shape our future,” Dr Marshall said.
“Australia is at a pivotal point,” he said.
“There is a tidal wave of disruption on the way, and it’s critical we take steps now to get ahead of it.
“From resource scarcity to drug resistant superbugs, disrupted global trade, and an increasingly unstable climate threatening our health and way of life – these are just some of the challenges we face.”
Dr Marshall said the challenges also indicated where the most powerful innovation could be found, “when we see a different future and leverage science to create it.”
He said the seven global megatrends were Adapting to climate change; Leaner, cleaner and greener; The escalating health imperative; Geopolitical shifts; Diving into digital; Increasingly autonomous; and Unlocking the human dimension.
“We have the opportunity now to use science to invent the kind of world we want to live in – but we have to act, and we have to do it together,” Dr Marshall said.
“Australia has the highest wind and solar capacity of any developed nation and a wealth of critical energy minerals – we can be a leader in feeding the world’s hunger for clean energy.”
He said the next wave of digital innovation would generate $10–15 trillion globally and Australia could tap into this to transform existing jobs and create new jobs and wealth while leveraging artificial intelligence to solve some of the country’s greatest challenges, “like outthinking bushfires, accelerating vaccine development, predicting drought, or stabilising our energy grid.”
CSIRO’s 57-page Our Future World report can be downloaded at this PS News link.
