Outlook 2026: Four Major Shifts to Watch 1. Polycrisis: cascading crises in a connected world Polycrises emerge from the increasing global interconnectedness of social, geopolitical, economic, technological and environmental developments. T... Society Strategic Foresight Sustainability Technology Jan 15, 2026
From mindset to daily life: how people pursue health and why it’s not always easy After enjoying the Christmas market, mulled wine, biscuits, festive meals and champagne, many people feel the need for a fresh start. The resolutions are quickly formulated, including do more exercise... Food Health Jan 14, 2026
Dennis Herhausen: "If you want to be relevant to everyone, you're not relevant to anyone" How do brands create authentic touchpoints when an ever-increasing amount of content is artificial? Dennis Herhausen : Authenticity is not created through more content, but through the deliberate redu... Society Technology Jan 7, 2026
Got a spare minute? How we use our most precious resource It's Christmas time again, the nights are drawing in, city centres are packed with crowds, and, at some point, many people are getting that indistinct feeling that everything is getting a bit tight. N... Society Dec 17, 2025
The GDI reading list for 2025 As the year draws to a close, we've put together a carefully chosen selection of books that particularly impressed our researchers and staff. From views on the meaning of life and cultures revolving a... Food Health Retail Society Sustainability Technology Dec 16, 2025
Architecture of change – shifts that will shape our future The GDI Major Shifts framework describes 20 developments across the five dimensions of society, geopolitics, economy, technology and ecology. Why these five in particular? Joschka Proksik: They are, i... Society Dec 16, 2025
Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim – from clickbait to more complex content Our minds are bombarded by social media shorts, automatically summarised AI responses and pithy messages. Nuance and fine distinctions rarely cut through the information overload. Yet, complex issues ... Society Technology Dec 10, 2025
Foresight instead of forecasting: why the future does not lie in Excel Was ist Strategic Foresight und wie unterscheidet sich das von klassischer Strategieberatung? Susan Shaw : Strategic Foresight geht einen Schritt weiter. Wir bewegen uns in eine hypothetische Zukunft,... Strategic Foresight Nov 26, 2025
Building trust in the age of AI When was the last time you saw an original piece of content that really blew you away? Authenticity is often lost amidst a deluge of AI-generated product images, interchangeable claims and polished co... Society Technology Nov 19, 2025
Global South: New Middle Classes, New Confidence On November 22, the heads of state and government of the G20 will meet in Johannesburg. It is the first summit on African soil and marks not only a symbolic premiere, but also reflects a gradual shift... Strategic Foresight Nov 18, 2025
Nearconomy – how retailers can succeed through proximity The world is in a state of flux. Geopolitical conflicts are undermining security guarantees, resulting in the need for new alliances. In an economy where a lack of trust is increasingly apparent, stab... Retail Nov 14, 2025
A recipe for success for franchise companies Offering everything you need for children up to the age of three, Anna Weber runs the BabyOne family business together with her brother. In order for online retail to work, she had to convince the fra... Retail Nov 6, 2025