Room for improvement: how urban densification works in Switzerland Why is housing such a major issue in Switzerland? Jakub Samochowiec: The search for housing is an issue that concerns many people, especially in urban centres. Affordable housing, expensive new-build ... Society Apr 21, 2026
When one planet is not enough By 11 May 2026, Switzerland will have used up its estimated entitlement to natural resources for the whole year. From that point onwards, we will be living at the expense of other regions and future g... Society Strategic Foresight Sustainability Apr 20, 2026
Focus hacks for better concentration The GDI's European Trend Day showed that companies and brands can recapture attention in a noisy world if they are focussed. They can achieve focus by adopting strong values, communicating consistentl... Society Technology Apr 13, 2026
From information overload to relevance: Highlights from the GDI Trend Day Credibility is proving a huge challenge in the age of AI. It also plays a key role in relation to focus as it determines who recipients give their attention to. Three factors have a major influence ov... Society Technology Mar 30, 2026
Automated media ecosystems – a brave new world? The debate on the Federal Popular Initiative '200 Francs is enough' (SBC Initiative), which aims to halve public funding for the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, is primarily about costs. However, it t... Society Strategic Foresight Technology Mar 5, 2026
When extremism becomes mainstream With conspiracy theories, deep fakes and distrust of politicians in abundance, are we now facing a confidence crisis? Julia Ebner: We now find ourself deeply entrenched in a confidence crisis covering... Society Technology Jan 27, 2026
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
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