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How data and simulations are changing politics

In the second part of his summer tour, GDI researcher Zhan Li takes a closer look at how data and simulation capabilities are shaping our understanding of possible futures of cities and civic power. For this purpose, Li visited conferences and spoke to a number of leading futurists.

Jan Sedlacek: «I am very critical when it comes to Silicon Valley safaris»

Customer-oriented, keen to experiment and networked – Jan Sedlacek, co-founder of business consultancy Stryber, knows what makes successful executives in the digital age. In an interview with the GDI, he explains why this is less about skills than about the way of thinking.

Disruptive patterns: Steps towards the energy future

Disruptive patterns, such as ecological catastrophes, are unavoidable on the path to the energy future. Nevertheless, political focus lies primarily on prevention of such events. Stefan Breit explains in the GDI study “A New World of Energy” why states back on the wrong horse.

Summer tour to the topics of the future

Blockchain, cryptocurrencies or artificial intelligence are not only transforming the world technologically. They also lead to cultural and political change. This provides a lot discussion among futurologists. GDI researcher Zhan Li attended a number of future conferences this summer and summarised the most important trends.

Outsourcing thinking

Maximize your happiness by building a life that requires fewer decisions, says neuroscientist Moran Cerf. Why it is sometimes worthwhile to let others decide and how a chip in our heads could boost efficency, he explains in a TED Talk.

Science-Food: between tradition and progress

For thousands of years we have been changing our food through selection and crossing. Nevertheless, genetic modification of organisms is a controversial issue. Fears - for example of multi-resistant pests – characterise the discourse. But genetically modified organisms could also change the world in a positive sense.

Richard Kelly: “The biggest barrier to innovation is doing nothing”

New technologies, such as blockchain, are tempting. But to chase after them blindly is a fatal mistake, says Richard Kelly, Chief Catalyst of the Fung Academy and speaker at the 68th International Retail Summit. In an interview with the GDI, he talks about what a company really needs to be innovative.

Convincing people with simple decisions

The way we make decisions has a lot to do with comfort and aesthetics, says Shlomo Benartzi, a behavioural economist and speaker at the sixth Academy of Behavioral Economics. In a TED talk, he explains how our online and offline behaviour differs.

From selfie to digital double

In the future, data-enriched selfies, will be much more than an image of an external state. Algorithms will soon be able to read us better than any psychiatrist.

Lucy Harris: «Organisations need a mix of new age technology and senior wisdom»

The retail industry is obsessed with customer focus, says Lucy Harris, a partner at the British recruitment consultancy Clarity Search. In an interview with the GDI and at the International Retail Summit, she explains why companies should give more attention to their recruitment strategy.

Terry Young: “Marketing will be hyper-personalised”

We will soon see advertising messages that are aligned with our DNA, says Terry Young, founder of the consulting company sparks & honey. But how will this hyper-personalised marketing affect retail? The US-American CEO answers this question in this interview and at the GDI Retail Summit.

‘Faked Meats’ – Rethinking the veggie burger

Food is central to life – and now it's a design object as well. Marije Vogelzang, founder of the Dutch Institute of Food & Design and a speaker at the GDI Retail Summit, is a pioneer of eating design. She gives an insight into her work in the video.

On the football field there is only the now

Match-deciding decisions within seconds – no problem for Pierluigi Collina. The successful referee explains in a video what it takes to stay focused. He will reveal more about success on the pitch at the GDI Retail Summit on 7 September.

30 Shifts on the way to the energy future

The transition to the energy future will be shaped by individual developments, "shifts", writes GDI researcher Stefan Breit. He identifies and analyses the 30 most important ones in a trend landscape.

More time thanks to artificial intelligence

The next ten years will be revolutionary. At least in terms of artificial intelligence, says Behshad Behzadi, Distinguished Engineer, Site Lead Google Switzerland, in a TED talk. How the "AI-first revolution" will impact retail will be revealed at the GDI Retail Summit on 6 September.

Fabrice Zumbrunnen: "It is our job to understand customer expectations"

Market development is no longer in the hands of retailers, but of customers, says Migros CEO Fabrice Zumbrunnen. He explains how he intends to respond to this change in a video interview.

Competitive information via augmented reality

You want to find out more about a product? Today it takes a single glance at your smartphone to know everything about it. Even what is left out in advertising. Companies are forced to re-think their communication strategies, write GDI-researcher Jakub Samochowiec.

Overview of nutritional doctrines

The diversity of nutritional doctrines and teachings shows: We are not yet anywhere near understanding the interaction processes between body and mind in their entirety. The graph taken from the GDI Study "European Food Trends Report" presents an overview of the most common nutritional doctrines.

Biofeedback replaces surveys and likes

All of the big tech companies are currently investing in research on artificial intelligence. When machines learn to recognize our feelings, they will be able to read almost all our desires in our eyes. According to GDI researchers customer satisfaction will become the measure of all things.

David Bosshart: "Retailers have to become more flexible"

From shelf maintenance to more service and intelligent logistics – this development determines the new age of retail, says GDI CEO David Bosshart in a video interview. At the GDI Retail Summit, he will reveal the success factors of retail.

45m US dollars for a fashion start-up

The online marketplace Na-kd is now one of the 20 fastest growing companies in Europe. CEO Jarno Vanhatapio will talk about his success at the GDI Retail Summit in September.

Steven Kotler about ultimate performance through brain hacking

Steven Kotler is the co-founder and director for research for the Flow Genome Project and author of «Stealing Fire». In this interview he talks about his live-changing flow experience and how people can learn to get into the flow.

Jo Marchant on how beliefs shape health

Microbiologist and science journalist Jo Marchant describes the influence of positive thoughts on our health and how placebos work, even when we are aware of the fact, that we are taking them.

Stefano Mancuso on intelligent plants

In this video interview Stefano Mancuso, Professor and Lead, International Laboratory for Plant Neurobiology at the University of Florence, describes, how plants interact with each other and what we can learn from them.

The European Trend Day 2018 in a nutshell

From LSD short trips to the selfie generation: at the 14th European Trend Day, internationally renowned guests spoke about the growing markets of self-optimisation. A summary.

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