In collaboration with!

The Digital Revolution Project

In this document •  Executive Summary •  Welcome to the Digital Revolution •  Key insights from the first kick-off event •  How your organisation can be part of the Digital Revolution

Executive SummaryIntroduction•  We have to surf the Digital Revolution to a sustainable

future•  Historically, large technological innovations and profound change go together•  Digital is the technological revolution of our time

•  We want to create a platform to make the best of the Digital Revolution!•  Understand better the Digital Revolution and what it means for a particular

sector(s).•  Identify specific windows of opportunity to experiment with surfing the Digital

Revolution for a sustainable future•  Create a range of relationships which can be used in those experiments and

other initiatives

Executive SummaryHeadline insights so farUnder ‘business-as-usual’ then the Digital Revolution can hinder the shift to a sustainable future:•  Significant risk that we use the Digital Revolution to try to control nature more from a

distance. •  The network effects will power a ‘winner-takes-all’ economy, driving greater inequality within

and between countries.•  Resources will likely follow the increased purchasing power, and so risk crowding out

meeting fundamental needs for all•  The new giants will have the financial muscle to buy up potential disruptors and prevent

emergence of the next new power structures

Nevertheless, the Digital Revolution can help shift ‘business-as-usual’:•  Help the economy better mimic nature, for instance using real-time data to accelerate

circular economy.•  The Digital Revolution can help sharing and manage resources, can give access to

education, and may help with productivity.•  People will be able to get ‘status goods’ and well-being through belonging, and so meet

non-material needs in non-material ways.•  As transparency continues to grow it will require institutions to act in ways that are worth of

our trust.

Our starting point is confirmed: “Technology creates possibilities and potential, but ultimately, the future we get will depend on the choices we make.” (Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee, in The Second Machine Age)•  Over the next phase we need to experiment with choices which can shape the future.

Welcome to the Digital Revolution

Why is this important? ◆  Without profound change, we’re on the path to

an unsustainable future

◆  Historically, technological revolutions and profound change go together

◆  Digital is the technological revolution of our time

◆  How can we surf the Digital Revolution to a sustainable future?

Our conclusionEither we will learn how to surf the Digital

Revolution to a sustainable future, !or we simply won’t get there.!

If we surf the Digital Revolution well, then we will create a sustainable future much faster.

“Technology creates possibilities and potential, but ultimately, the future we get will depend on the choices we make.”

Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee, The Second Machine Age

What we are aiming for

The purpose of this project is to use the power of the Digital Revolution to fast track

a sustainable future.!!!

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!

 Therefore, !•  We want to create a platform to make the best of the Digital Revolution!•  Kick-start a dialogue about where and how the Digital Revolution is

accelerating or hindering the transition!•  Get insight into where the transition is being hindered so we can act  !•  Understand where the Digital Revolution can be used to accelerate the

transition so we can develop collaborative experiments.!

Key insights from the kick-off event 15th September 2015

Digital Revolution kick off event On the 15th of September Forum for the Future and co-initiator O2 started the Digital Revolution event series, that will discuss how

Digital Revolution can enable or hinder a more sustainable future. We started at the London Silicon Roundabout and we aim to bring

this discussion to further global tech clusters in future.

Process of a !Digital Revolution Event!

Inspirations about the Digital

Revolution from speakers

Exploration of industry specific transition areas

i.e. How can the digital revolution help or

hinder to overcome inequality between and

within countries

Sharing insights in a plenum

to develop collective intelligence with the

event series

Speakers

Julie Meyer, CEO of Ariadne Capital

Romain Lacombe, Founder & CEO of Plume Labs

How can the Digital Revolution !help or hinder these aspects of a

sustainable future?!

A society in symbiosis with

nature

Overcome inequality between and within

countries

Meet non-material needs in

non-material ways

Meet all fundamental material needs

Allow for the emergence of new

power structures and players in society

Have trustworthy social institutions

(government, regulation and civil

society)

Key insights: !A society in symbiosis with nature!

Significant risk that the Digital Revolution is disconnecting us from nature and naturalsystems. But also offers the possibility of improved symbiosis with nature by e.g. using real-timefeedback to manage interaction with ecosystems.

Key insights: !Overcome inequality between and within countries!

The Digital Revolution is increasing the concentration of wealth/power in the hands of the few. However, theDigital Revolution also can help sharing and manage resources, give access to education and may help with productivity. So does this only address the symptoms of inequality rather than root causes?

Source: ShareTheMeal !

Key insights: !Meet non-material needs in non-material ways!

We are only just becoming aware of how the Digital Revolution is undermining security and privacy - key non-material issues. There is a clear need or solutions that enable the use of digital solutions without undermining those needs.

www.outsidethebeltway.com

Key insights: !Meet all fundamental material needs!

Developed countries use the Digital Revolution mainly to meet non-material needs. However, these technologies use energy and other key resources that could be used to meet more important and fundamental needs elsewhere.

http://blogs.wsj.com/

Key insights: Allow for the emergence of new power structures and players in society!

The Digital Revolution has sped up the rise and fall of monopolies in the past. But the new giants have now reached an extraordinary scale and started to protect themselves by buying the upstarts.

Key insights: !Have trustworthy social institutions!

Through open access the Digital Revolution can help participation in democratic process. However, concerns remain about the use of data and who should be trusted.

How you can be involved

The purpose of this project is to use the power of the Digital Revolution to fast track a sustainable future. Therefore we want to create a platform and inspire concrete actions and innovations that shape a digital and sustainable future. !We recommend a two-step process:!

Sponsor a Digital Revolution event for your industry

Individual workshop at your

organisation

How can the Digital Revolution enable or hinder a sustainable

future?

What are the opportunities and

barriers of the Digital Revolution?

What does that mean for my organisation?

What could an innovative solution

look like?

Possible involvement

•  Gather collective knowledge and new insights about how the Digital Revolution can enable or hinder a sustainable future of your industry!

•  Kick-start a global conversation and collaborations to enable a sustainable, digitised future !

•  Identify relationships to run collaborative experiments !

!!

Sponsor a Digital Revolution event for your industryHow can the Digital

Revolution enable or hinder a sustainable

future?

What are the opportunities and

barriers of the Digital Revolution for my

industry?

An industry wide ‘Digital Revolution’ event

•  Explore what the findings from the event mean for your organisation and its value network!

•  Define specific opportunity areas for your organisation to experiment and innovate !

•  Prioritise possible partners for these experiments !

Individual workshops

Individual workshop at your

organisation

What does the insight form the event mean for your organisation?

What could innovative solutions look like?

Contact •  More info soon on www.forumforthefuture.org/digitalrevolution

•  If you like to know more or like to get involved contact: m.rose@forumforthefuture.org

•  Further materials and write-ups from the event available on request