Mega trends provide information about which developments will influence our society in the long term. As dynamic change phenomena, however, they are themselves characterized by change. For this reason, mega trends are reviewed at regular intervals with regard to their relevance.

TRENDONE takes a deep look at the latest innovations. With our permanent 360-degree micro-trend research approach, we identify overarching change phenomena based on evidence.

The 18 mega trends of the trend universe

As a trend management framework, the TRENDONE trend universe provides a systematic presentation of the transformative mega trends — from artificial intelligence (AI) to tailor-made evolution and intelligent infrastructure.

Age of Disorder

The Russian war of aggression on Ukraine has massively changed the world order and intensified geopolitical and economic lines of conflict. Reliable security and economic alliances are being replaced by new, sometimes dynamically emerging ones.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence applications are entering our everyday lives ever faster. Research is making rapid progress. At the same time, the potential risks associated with AI-based processes are becoming increasingly clear.

Attention Economy

Attention is one of the most important currencies of the 21st century. But in the age of social media and constant consumption of information, it is highly competitive. Users expect real added value and clear positioning from corporate communications.

Caring Society

In many Western societies, awareness of social injustice is increasing. Consumers are becoming increasingly active themselves and demanding transparency and change. The diversity of society and the different needs of every person are recognized and addressed.

Connected World

Social media are the DNA of modern societies. They pervade every aspect of everyday life and inexorably disrupt cultural and social processes. The functions of social networks go far beyond actual communication.

Conscious Eating

More and more people are taking a very conscious approach to their diet and the foods they consume. In addition to preparation and personal eating habits, this is increasingly also about moral values.

Engineered Evolution

Humans have been intervening in the evolution of natural systems since their existence. With the availability of scientific knowledge and the maturity of the technology, he is also moving on to advancing the evolution of his own body and the associated biological processes in a tailor-made manner.

Evolving Consumerism

New patterns of behavior are emerging among consumers, resulting from the development of new technologies, the demographic development of the population, the use of social media and the desire for a balanced but exciting everyday life.

Exponential Industries

Industrial and manufacturing processes are experiencing exponential change. Formerly separate industries are becoming drivers of innovation; production processes such as 3D printing are being used in ever new contexts.

Data Era

The amount of data produced every day is growing exponentially. Living organisms, devices, machines, almost all objects can be detected and tracked. Intelligent use of data is one of the most important challenges.

Future Skillsets

The world of work is characterized by rapid change and major upheavals. New occupations, methods and working models require skills and approaches that have not been taught in education so far. Lifelong learning is becoming essential.

Healthstyle

The topic of health is constantly increasing in importance and is being increasingly integrated into our everyday lives. The need for hygiene and cleanliness is also becoming increasingly present. All areas of life and industries are affected as a result.

Intelligent Infrastructure

Comprehensive technological measures are required to overcome infrastructure challenges, such as mobility and energy supply. Advanced network technology is essential for a functioning City OS that controls a smart city.

Planet Centricity

With a new social awareness of the impact of previous human action, a variety of new innovations are emerging. Based on materials, processes and communication, planet-centered topics cover the entire economic spectrum.

Seamless commerce

The competitive pressure in retail is enormous and is constantly growing. It's about offering customers the best cross-channel and seamless shopping experience via an omnichannel strategy.

Smart Surroundings

Our environment is hyper-connected and is becoming increasingly intelligent. Technologies are being implemented in one's own home (smart home), in shops or in public spaces that use sensors to detect living beings and objects.

Urbanization

Cities around the world are growing unabated. They must adapt to increasing demands from residents and offer attractive, flexible living space. But life in the countryside is also becoming more attractive.

Virtualization

High-performance and versatile input devices, multi-sensory extensions and the increasing number of cost-effective and accurate sensors open up new opportunities in the virtual world.

How do mega trends differ from other types of trends?

Only a look at the various types of trends and their interdependencies makes it clear how micro, macro and mega trends relate to each other and ultimately have an impact on society as a whole. Big processes of change start on a small scale.

Micro-Trends

With the help of our trend scouts, we identify cross-sector micro-trends. Micro-trends are the first signals in the form of concrete best practice innovations that already exist today and point to developments in the future.

Macro Trends

Our analysts evaluate micro-trends. Using patterns, they cluster them in order to be able to derive overarching change phenomena, so-called macro trends.

Mega-Trends

The identified macro trends can in turn be assigned to so-called mega trends. Mega-trends describe social structural changes and influence all areas of society.

The individual trend universe for your company

Trend universes and trend maps represent the entirety of the most effective mega and macro trends in their contexts. However, company-specific relevance is not automatic and is the case in all cases. Here, it is important to evaluate trends individually in terms of their general relevance and to prioritize them according to urgency.

The trend radar integrated in Trend Manager is ideal for this purpose. With a trend radar, trend universes are individually adjusted and broken down at company level.

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