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 in the five dimensions of society, geopolitics, economy, technology and ecology. So why these five dimensions in particular? Joschka Proksik: T... 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
Cory Doctorow: 'enshittification' or why platforms became useless When was the last time you looked at photos of your closest friends on Facebook? And how many links in Google's search results showed what you were actually looking for? Cory Doctorow, an author, tech... Retail Society Technology Nov 4, 2025
Nicholas Christakis: "AI is changing our interpersonal interaction too" AI assists us in everyday life, but it can improve human performance in collective challenges, such as coordination or cooperation, too. Nicholas Christakis, a Professor of Social and Natural Science ... Society Technology Oct 15, 2025
Convenience and digital grocery shopping are hot topics in the live podcast The live recording of the "Retail Reality Show" podcast as part of the 75th International Retail Summit at the GDI provided the audience with fascinating insights into food retail. In this park sessio... Food Retail Society Oct 9, 2025