Future S&T Forecasts
Dr. James Canton
CEO & Chairman
GlobalFuturist.com

Institute for Global Futures
Forecast Emerging
Trends
• Think Tank
• Advise Fortune 1000
• Global Risk Analysis
• Analytic Forecasting
• Innovation Strategy

Worldwide Clients

Forecasting Models
•Proprietary Computer and
Network based Analytic engines
•Environmental scanning
•Conduct primary and analyze
secondary research

Welcome to the Extreme Future

Extreme Future: More Risk More
Opportunity
!A highly multidimensional world
of complex trends

Challenge: Navigate Extreme Future

World of 2020
8

Top Global Risk on GDP & Multinational
• Energy
• Population
• Food
• Water
• Health
• Ecology
• GWOT

Global Population
By 2020, 95% of World’s 8 Billion People will
Live in Developing Nations

Fertility Rates Dropping
Total Fertility
Rate by
Country
Fertility in Every Developed Country has
Fallen Beneath the Replacement Rate of 2.1
UN 1997

An Older World

Future Productivity Crisis:
More Jobs then Workers
Immigration & birthrates
will not keep pace
with GDP demands
Impact on:
•Global Security
•Productivity
•Quality of life

US Workforce 2020
• More Jobs then Workers
• Over 50% Women
• One third minority
• Large Hispanic population
• Knowledge Enabled
• Global outsourcing

By 2020: Most mega-cities in
developing world—EcoFault risk

Global Megacities
The World of 2020 will have 100 Megacities
with more than 10 Million People Each

Possible 2020 Disruption Forecast
The clash between the rich aging
developed world and the poor
young ethnic developing world
17

Possible 2020 Disruption Forecast
Wealth gaps between not only the
haves and have not nations but
populations within nations like Asia &
India will drive social unrest
18

Possible Disruption Forecast 2020
Current energy resources will not
keep pace with population growth
or GDP—strategic implications?
19

Possible 2020 Disruption Forecast
Over one quarter of gross world
product is made by ten cities today
But this economic power may shift
to Asia in the future—implications?
20

Possible 2020 Disruption Forecast
Cities and planet’s carrying
capacity to feed, clean, cloth, house
and economically sustain 1-2 Billion
more people is questionable.
21

Innovation: Key Driver of Global GDP

1/3 of US GDP is Innovation Driven

Global Innovation Economy
• Key driver of competitive
advantage, wealth and
prosperity
• Fusion of talent & science
• America leads

NextGen Science Convergence

New Systems Science
NBICQ Modeling
Biological Metaphors in Computing
Bioinfomatics
In Silico Biology
Genetic / BioMed Proteomics

Quantum Modeling
of Nano-Materials
Quantum Modeling of meta-scale nanostructured catalysts, nano-
crystals, and membranes enables investigation into unique molecular
forms with substantial cost savings over conventional material solutions

Knowledge-Engineering
Key Properties:
Living
Photonic
Systems as
Electronic
Biofoundry
Mechnical
Chemical
Genetic Magnification
Dynamic Agent Controlled Replication
Material Patterning / Materials Harvest /
Structural Systems “Biocomponents”

Synthetic Biology
Synthetic Biology Building Blocks >
Biological Systems Architectures

Neural Futures

Conquering Disease at the
Atomic Scale: Designed Care
• From InSilico Biology, to Molecular Delivery, to
Intracellular NanoBiology
• The Evolution of Applied NanoMedicine

Life Extension: Personalized Med

Space Futures
Industrialization of Space – the next Economic Paradigm
Energy Harvesting
Specialized Materials
Space Pharma

Summary
must accelerate social
\"Science
innovations
is next gen systems science
\"Key
connection to science and
\"Direct
democracy, security, economic growth,
prosperity
private/public coordination
\"Better

Convergence: Future of Mega Cities