My best guess for the "hallmark of the next technology revolution" is:
-the creation of an Energy Web, similar to the WWW, of independent sources of locally produced, sustainable, transport-less energy. This will greatly reduce the gepolitical risks connected to oil from failed states, and reduce the (perceived) need for war on resources. We need to live without oil if we want to keep the future world healthy and peaceful.
-the creation of a Production Web, similar to the WWW, in which physical products are created and produced locally without transport. Printing products and buildings locally instead of assembling them in a distant factory.
-the creation of a Prevention Web, in which the current need for medicines, for care, for transport, for raw resources etcetera is reduced or elimated through the development of nano-enhanced materials. We play for God in a friendly and human manner (at last...).
The 3 Webs combined will create a global and connected world without the risks derived from this same global interdependency. We need cities and regions to be globally interconnected and *at the same time* autonomous in various ways, like energy, food, and production capacity. Current sustainability trends, like Cradle-to-Cradle and Waste-to-Fuel, are part of these emerging webs.
It will also give more power to individuals; trends here are selfchoice, selfservice, selfcontrol, but also selfpay (for old age). Including a personal dashboard for every single worldcitizen to transact and communicate with companies and governments globally. Current trends like E-government and Web 2.0 are part of these emerging webs.
All of this could happen between now and 2020-2025.
So far my best guess. The Future is Bright!
Kindly,
Marcel Bullinga, Dutch Futurist
www.futurecheck.eu
info@futurecheck.nl
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