> Innovation Agenda

Innovation Reading Circle

> Overview

The Innovation Reading Circle aims to help develop theory around innovation through rich, high-level and well-informed public discussion around key and related texts and discourses... [Read on in Objectives]

> Next event

18: Forecasting and foresight

> Titles

Future Files cover

Future Files: A History of the Next 50 Years by Richard Watson (Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2008) [288pp]

In Future Files Richard Watson forecasts how the world might change in the next half century, examining emerging trends and developments in society, technology, economy, and business, and presenting educated speculation about where they might take us. The book covers society and culture, science and technology, government and politics, media and entertainment, money and financial services, automotive and transport, food and drink, retail and shopping, healthcare and medicine, travel and tourism, and work and business, detailing new developments and technologies that have potential for change.

Richard Watson is a futurist writer and speaker who advises organisations on the future, focusing particularly on future trends and scenario planning. His clients have included, amongst others, Virgin, Toyota, McDonald’s, Tesco, News Limited, Westfield, Unilever, Coca-Cola, the Dept of Education and St George Bank. Watson is the author and publisher of What’s Next, Chief Futurist at the Future Exploration Network, a member of Futures House and a regular columnist for a number of magazines including Fast Company (USA), Retail Banking Review (Australia) and Future Orientation (Denmark). [Read on on the author’s page on the book site...]

Order the title(s)

Order from Amazon.co.uk

Related titles

Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff (Harvard Business School Press, 2008)

The Future of Technology: How to Adapt Prosper by Tom Standage (Economist Books, 2005) Part one covers information technology. Part two examines the importance of consumer electronics. Part three evaluates three candidates for the next big technological revolution – biotechnology, energy technology and nanotechnology.

Inevitable Surprises: Thinking Ahead in a Time of Turbulence by Peter Schwartz (Gotham Books, 2003) A survey of all the major trends that are likely to affect our lives and an exploration of the plausible prospects for tomorrow's history.

What the Future Holds: Insights from Social Science Edited by Richard N. Cooper and Richard Layard (MIT Press, 2003) Social scientists from various disciplines discuss and offer predictions about the future.

TechTV’s Catalog of Tomorrow by Andrew Zolli (TechTV, 2002)

Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives by John Naisbitt (Mass Market Paperback, 1984)

> Takes place

Calendar7–8:45 pm (6:30 pm for drinks), Monday 13 October 2008. You can add this event to your calendar using the Share feature available from the event page on Facebook.

> At

CMP Communications, Enterprise House, 1-2 Hatfields, London SE1 9PG
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> Notices

We are grateful to Clarke Mulder Purdie Communication for hosting this event

> Documentation

Report by Will Connolly of Clarke Mulder Purdie

> Preparation

Introduction

[To come.]

Points for discussion

Some of the questions that we plan to discuss include:

  • What are the key techniques and methods for predicting futures?
  • Does technology drive society?
  • How might we apply the approach outlined in the Future Files to a past development, such as the consumer adoption of the Internet?
  • What past futures seemed certain but didn’t come to pass, and why?
  • Do we have any (positive) visions of the future?
  • How convincing is Watson’s discussion of the role of ‘right-brain economic production’?

Overviews and excerpts

Future Files book site, including Chapter 1: Society and Culture [PDF]

Background reading, listening and viewing

Five Trends That Will Transform Society, Richard Watson, Fast Company, September 2007 issue

RSA: Future Files: A History of the Next 50 Years: A talk by Richard Watson, 23rd Sep 2008 [Video]

Other shared bookmarks for tagged irc18 on Magnolia and tagged irc18 on Delicious.

Reviews

Are we history in the making? The Australian, September 05, 2007

Further review excerpts on book site

Interviews

The World Today – Future forecaster discusses 2050, ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), 3 September , 2007

> Contact

If you have queries about the event please email   Nico Macdonald