Keynote, Other
The World Ahead 2022: five stories to watch out for
- 2022 is characterized by a global demand for stability and certainty, with China anticipated to test US global leadership while the Chinese Communist Party views the Western democratic system as being in terminal decline.
- Major political milestones include the Chinese Communist Party's 20th Congress in November, where President Xi Jinping is expected to seek a third term, and US midterm elections in November, which polls suggest could result in a loss of the Democratic majority and a divided government.
- Corporate and social expectations for 2022 involve a clash between the desire for remote work and employer demands for office presence, with hybrid models becoming the standard despite risks regarding inequality and diversity if not managed carefully.
- Technology predictions indicate a significant rise in metaverse adoption, driven by investments from Microsoft and Facebook and plans by Epic Games to spend $1 billion, aiming to make virtual interactions more lifelike, though mass adoption is not immediate.
- The entertainment industry in 2022 will focus on the Black Panther sequel to spotlight African designers, a trend supported by established fashion hubs in Lagos, Nairobi, and Johannesburg.
- Environmental sustainability remains a priority, coinciding with a renewed space race fueled by geopolitical competition between nations and rivalries among billionaire space entrepreneurs.
- China plans to complete its Ti-Yangong space station by year-end and will likely compete with India's planned lunar rover landing, while private companies like Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and SpaceX are expected to transport more paying tourists than government astronauts.
- Entertainment in space includes plans for a Russian film shot in orbit and a potential project featuring Tom Cruise, though the latter's production status remains uncertain.
- The overarching narrative for 2022 posits that China's governance model is proving effective compared to the US, while hybrid work and metaverse technologies represent key battlegrounds for social and economic norms.