Adding a spatial dimension to the EU Strategic Foresight Report

July 2022

In June the EU published the ‘2022 Strategic Foresight Report’. The Strategic Foresight reports highlight key strategic areas and trends that are relevant for the future of Europe. This year’s report focuses rather on the digital and green transitions, highlighting the most important mega-trends affecting the digital transition and how they can support or be linked to achieve the green transition. It also underlines how Russia’s war on the Ukraine reinforces many of the mega-trends.

Trends & challenges

The digital mega-trends discussed comprise among others artificial intelligence, blockchain, internet of things, digital twins, quantum computing, sensors improving resource efficiency industries, micro-grids and self-organised grids, space-based services. Considering that these trends are not evolving in isolation but in mutual interdependencies, the report approaches them through a series of combined topics. This ranges from digitalised energy, greener transport with digital technologies, climate-neutrality of industries through digital technologies, green buildings through digitalisation, to smart and green agriculture. In the light of the shifting geo-political reality, there is also a strong focus on EU’s resilience and open strategic autonomy, including issues such as access to critical raw materials.