As a new decade begins, so too does a fresh era of trends with the potential to disrupt the status quo in business and society.Add in a global pandemic that has forced rapid and possibly long-lasting adjustments to everyday life, and the potential for major disruption and change multiplies. So how should investors consider trends, ranging from 3D bioprinting and the ageing population to facial recognition and the streaming economy, as they construct their portfolios?
To assist those investors thinking long term, Barclays’ Research analysts identified 150 thematic trends across six broad paradigms, including: 1) Technology & Innovation; 2) Consumer, Food & Retail; 3) Industrials, Manufacturing & Transportation; 4) Health & Modern Science; 5) Energy & Environment and 6) Society & Culture. The team then analysed the degree to which each of these trends will likely impact society by 2030.
Subsequently, the team has reevaluated each trend in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, assessing the extent to which the pandemic could alter the evolution of the 150 trends previously identified. They think nearly half will be affected, with trends relating to healthcare, supply chains, automation and public safety poised to accelerate in the post-COVID world. While these are not predictions, they provide food for thought as investors begin to shape portfolios for the coming decade.
Our analysis marks the 2020s as the decade of decarbonisation (Clean Tech & Renewable Infrastructure), the acceleration of enabling technology (5G, AI & IoT), ongoing demographic shifts (Global Ageing & Urbanisation), the rise of the conscious consumer (Healthy Living & the Circular Economy) and the shift towards a smart society (Predictive Healthcare & Smart Cities).
