We believe that now, more than ever, it pays to look further into the future. And with that in mind, Carswell Gould has been working away on some insightful predictions for life in 2050.
What is Hampshire 2050?
Carswell Gould was invited to contribute to the Hampshire 2050 inquiry by exploring and offering recommendations for the theme of ‘work, skills and lifestyle’.
This opportunity was particularly interesting to us, as it ties in with our own work for our clients and enabled us to make some predictions about how we will work, communicate and advise our clients in the future.
Initially, the whole team at Carswell Gould participated in a half-day workshop to explore the themes, ideas and opportunities at a top level. Then we researched and found evidence for each of our ideas with members of our team also visiting local colleges to speak with students about what they think life will be like in 2050 (when most of them will be around 50 years old).
A written report and presentation followed, outlining our predictions and what they will mean to Hampshire, which we presented at the Commission event.
The overriding theme throughout our report is the “Authentic World vs the Simulated World” and we separated our ideas into five key themes:
- Recreation and Daily Activity
- Entertainment/Music/Arts/Heritage
- Sport/Health/Activity
- Relationships and Family
- Creative and Cultural Sector
Why does it matter?
Taking into consideration where our lives are heading and how technology will have an effect on everyday life, work and entertainment, allows us to consider which steps we need to take in the present to make the most of the future.
As an organisation that advises its clients on technology, marketing and communications, taking a view on the future has played an important part in helping us to shape our thinking and offer our clients the very best advice.
The 2050 project will also provide the framework for which future plans, strategies and ways of working will be packaged by Hampshire County Council.
So, what are the main ideas we explored?
Below we have set out the key themes, findings and predictions.
Theme one: Recreation and Daily Activity
- Activities will become simulated
- Nature’s playground
- The commercialisation of council recreation assets
- Connecting and sharing our places
- Activity/community hubs
- Authentic recreation accessible by all
Theme two: Entertainment/Music/Arts/Heritage/Museums
- The role of ‘authentic’ assets
- The role in technology in how people access arts
- Remote access of arts from anywhere
- Entertainment as a service and ‘pay per view’
- Bands won’t need to perform live
Theme three: Sport/Health/Activity
- Importance of sport and exercise
- Higher uptake in sports
- No more spectators
- Simulation of Hampshire routes
- Developing world-leading sports technology
- Fitter and healthier population
- Fitness closer to home
Theme four: Relationships and Family
- Long distance relationships will work
- Mental health support
- Relationships will be nurtured by work hubs
- Four day weeks and four hours a day
- AI will become increasingly life-like
- Education trends
Theme five: Creative and Cultural Sector
- Human creativity will increase in value
- Process-driven creative industry jobs will start to be automated
- Relationships will be nurtured by work hubs
- Domination of digital simulations, new worlds, gaming and experiences
- Everything is a competition
Why should I download the report?
Our report covers a wide range of predictions, which will impact everyone in society. The report may be aimed at Hampshire, but the global forecast included sets out many challenges and predictions to prepare you for the future.
The evidence we have gathered identifies some clear challenges and opportunities for Commissioners to consider in order to ensure that Hampshire continues to prosper into the future.
You can find out more about the project, the other themes and evidence brought to the commission on the Hampshire 2050 website which shares information from six separate hearings and evidence from specified experts.
