Our life in the year 2030

23.08.2022 - Looking into a crystal ball is no longer such a bad idea - we now have well-founded ways of accurately predicting future trends in our lives. At the moment, this view is particularly exciting: megatrends such as globalisation, climate change and digitalisation are changing the world before our eyes - in real time! Futurologist and trend researcher Oliver Leisse explains how our lives could change by 2030.

Mr Leisse, what is the main aim of futurology?

You could say that futurology is generally about preparing for the future in the best possible way. With our analyses, we try to find out what people want and how their lives will change. We derive the trends from this. After all, we can only make good forecasts for our future if we know what is happening around us today.

What methods do you use?

We conduct qualitative social research with employees in 50 metropolises around the world. In qualitative interviews with experts, they give us feedback at regular intervals on what developments they see in the next three to five years in various areas and why. This is also known as consumer insights. In this way, we work out what people are particularly interested in at the moment and which goals they will therefore pursue in the coming years.

Which future topic do you personally find the most exciting at the moment?

Until recently, there was a time when people were very unreflective. We no longer realised what and who we actually are. Our identity was part of a consumer process, so we had no distance to our actions. Then came the turning point - with the coronavirus pandemic, stagflation, international crises and the increasingly tangible effects of climate change. These crises took us completely out of our everyday lives. Now we are once again thinking more about
who we actually are - and what we want. It's a major trend that has only just begun. And it will have the power to change the world.

In what way?

Previously, we lived in a system in which we simply functioned. Now, every person and every company wants to find their purpose. We are thinking more about what we do and where it leads. We have realised that each and every one of us must take responsibility for the future. We are reflecting on how we live, work and spend our time. Many are changing jobs because they are looking for more meaning. When it comes to sustainability, we can clearly see that all areas of our lives are bringing a new sense of responsibility - how we act, what we eat. These are all the first signs of a major change that will certainly be with us for the next three to five years.

How else will our lives change in this decade?

Efficiency and emotion will be our big drivers: These are the two major trends and topics that we are seeing in futurology. People are trying to make everything more efficient and automate it. On the other hand, the other, much more important development is emotion. We can see that interpersonal relationships are becoming increasingly important. Yes - there are more and more automated processes, but they are not replacing people. On the contrary! And the biggest challenge we have to overcome is certainly climate change.

How will climate change affect our lives?

It will be present in all areas of our lives. The effects of climate change have greatly increased as a result of current and past international crises. The next ten years will be about finding a solution. A rethink has been taking place in this area for some time now. This will bring about a positive change in people's behaviour and environmental protection will be more present in all areas of life than ever before. That's why, despite the crises, I see an optimistic start to the next few years - because we will all do our best.

Which areas will still change?

There will be a revolution in every single sector over the next few years. Travelling will take on a completely different dimension because we will become more responsible. Short-haul flights have fallen out of favour. Electromobility is changing the mobility of the future. Here, too, we are going one step further and thinking about alternatives that will enable us to do without cars or replace them. The trends also include renewable energies and photovoltaic systems, because the international crises have shown us that we should be more self-sufficient in our energy supply in the future. And then there are the parallel worlds such as the metaverse, which will play a greater role. We will definitely not be bored!

What are the big issues of our future, yours and mine?

One interesting topic is certainly the increasing life expectancy due to the latest developments in medicine, more specifically in mRNA technology. This makes it quite realistic that we could live to be 120 years old. I am pretty sure that we will be able to contain many diseases. This has to do with the fact that different sectors - biology, medicine and technology - are now working together. These cross-industry collaborations are happening everywhere and they are moving us forward. Also in terms of sustainability. I am sure that we will develop innovative solutions to pull CO₂ out of the air. There are certainly opportunities that we will find - because we are now all challenged to find solutions to the big problems.

What do you wish for the future?

I very much hope that the change we are currently experiencing is sustainable and that people don't fall back into their old patterns. By that I mean the unthinking way we functioned before the pandemic. Back then, we had the feeling that responsibility for the future lay with companies and politicians. Now everyone - each and every one of us - is showing the motivation and a real "drive" to actively shape our common future and change it for the better.

Cover picture: Bradley Hook/Pexels