Trends shaping tomorrow's world: forecasts and implications for business, government, and consumers

The second part of the series on forecasts and implications for business, government, and consumers is presented. For more than four decades, Forecasting International (FI) has conducted an ongoing study of the forces changing our world. One of the values of tracking major trends over such a long period is that you usually can see whether sudden shifts are indicators of seismic transitions or merely temporary anomalies or fads. This has made it possible for you to anticipate many specific developments in fields ranging from terrorist studies to the future of commercial laundries. Presented are trends that shape tomorrow's world. These include: 1. Technology increasingly dominates both the economy and society. 2. Research and development play a growing role in the economy. 3. The US is ceding its scientific and technical leadership to other countries. 4. Advances in transportation technology and practice will make travel and shipping faster, cheaper, and safer, by land, sea, and air.