Currently we are living through a phase in the innovation-curve in which digital technologies are optimizing the old global analogue consensus. But, we are nearing the end of that part of the IT-revolution. The ’second half’ will not be about optimizing the old state of mind anymore, rather developing a new one. It will take at least another decenium before Nano-, neuro-, and bio-tech is becoming mainstream to us all. But we might see the influence of such sciences far earlier through the concepts and metaphors it will create. The concept of Quantum Mechanics (without it no H-bomb, x-ray, MRI scan & mobile telephony) will become a key driver of the new paradigm. For example; Advanced MRI technologies and DNA scanning will have a tremendous effects on life-expectancy and medical transparency. What will be the impact of the ‘quantum’ on society and economy? Is ‘the sustainability ethos’ already part of quantum thinking?

The installation-period, as defined by Carlota Perez, has passed. We are now shifting towards the application phase where the real meaning of technology is in the use. This turning point will cause a dramatic shift in the financial industry which will need to transform from a focus on financial opportunities and leadership to strategic scarcity and a service oriented approach. Will it be a shift from financial investing to strategic investing? By studying General Purpose Technologies, specifically electricity, we can compare its developments to the development of new technologies as a commodity or utility-service.

It is often said in almost any business: “our real assets are our people”. But is that really the case? What would happen if you would organize around that principle? What would happen when costs (people) become assets (talent) in the networked society? Although it might feel unfamiliar in most traditional business environments, in other industries such as entertainment and sports it is quite normal to base the business model around the talent of the ‘employee’. In contrast with the citizen, the consumer and the individual; the employee has not been empowered. Still, it is bound to happen eventually. What would have to change in our society for every employee to be seen and valued as an asset? How do new organizational models like the network or the virtual world impact our working lives? What happens when the digital native meets Gen X at the workplace? That is what the future of work is all about…

The media is not empowered by technology but moreover by creativity. The boundaries are blurring and business models are shifting. We will see an abundance of low quality content, a revival of storytelling, the emergence of screens and video everywhere, media breaking out of the constraints of their traditional medium (TV is no longer locked to just the television-set). But if the medium is becoming just a medium than where is the message? What are the dynamics of the media industry in its broadest sense?

There is a symbiotic relation between privatization, industrialization and domestication. After the domestication of grain, the cow and the cat we now want to extend domestication even further. What professional or industrial aspects are entering into the home and are becoming domesticated in the household? Medical care, energy production, ICT-services and media-production all of them are increasingly entering our daily lives and are stepping into the living room. At the same time though, we are also outsourcing services, that we no longer want to own. Like for instance our cars (Greenwheels). What is the impact of looking at the household as an industrial entity in this Age of Access?

Sustainability is a process that can continue for ever. Do we want to continue the way we ‘live’ now? Probably not. So if we want to become more sustainable, than what are the stepping stones to that state? By looking at it as a process and a roadmap towards a more sustainable world investments under the sustainability theme can be seen in a much broader sense than investing in solar-energy, bio-fuels, or other alternative sources of energy.