"Australia is at a pivotal point. There is a tidal wave of disruption on the way, and it’s critical we take steps now to get ahead of it."
— CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Larry Marshall
Megatrends are trajectories of change that typically unfold over years or decades and have the potential for substantial and transformative impact.
CSIRO released its seminal global megatrends in 2012 as part of the Our Future World report. While these megatrends helped inform long-term strategic and policy directions for Australian organisations over the past decade, a lot has changed in that time too, including the recent events of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine crisis and the flow-on impacts to global trade.
These changes have had a substantial impact on businesses, communities and governments in Australia and exposed new risks and opportunities.
This report presents an update on CSIRO's global megatrends out to 2042 with the view to guide long-term investment, strategic and policy directions across government, industry, the not-for-profit sector and the broader Australian community.
Adopting a similar approach to CSIRO's previous global megatrends, this work explores how the previous megatrends have evolved over the previous decade as well as the new trends, impacts and drivers that have emerged over this period, providing a perspective around how these trends may unfold in the coming decades.
Consultancy and strategic advice
Develop your future strategy with the help of our experts and Our Future World authors Dr Stefan Hajkowicz and Dr Claire Naughtin.
Megatrends Strategy Workshops help leaders leverage the rich strategic foresight research conducted by CSIRO and apply it explore the specific trends, challenges, opportunities and priority actions on the horizon for their organisation.
Read the full report
- Our Future World - Global megatrends impacting the way we live over coming decades PDF (4 MB)
- Our Future World - Global megatrends impacting the way we live over coming decades (accessible text version) TXT (158 KB)
A venn digram of the megatrends explored in the Our Future World 2022 report 1. Adapting to a changing climate The protection of livelihoods, infrastructure and people’s quality of life as the climate changes 2. Leaner, cleaner and greener The global push to reach net zero and beyond, protect biodiversity and use resources efficiently
3. The escalating health imperative The promotion of health in the face of rising demand, demographic ageing, emerging diseases and unhealthy lifestyles
4. Geopolitical shifts The increase in efforts to ensure global stability, trade and economic growth
5. Diving into digital The rapidly growing digital and data economy
6. Increasingly autonomous The rise of artificial intelligence and advanced autonomous systems to enhance productivity and outputs across all industries
7. Unlocking the human dimension The elevating importance of diversity, equity and transparency in business, policy and community decision making