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Business Strategy

Society disrupted, now what?

October 29, 2020

RESEARCH REPORT

In brief

  • Societies have experienced a profound disruption that has affected the way we work, socialise, move, learn, consume and protect ourselves.
  • Accenture’s research conducted across 14 countries representing nearly half of the world’s population, identifies five future lifestyle shifts that will be long-lasting.
  • Taking the opportunity to make these emerging lifestyles the new norm will be up to the visionary businesses who are prepared to act early.

Modern societies are at a turning point. Prominent economists and visionary business leaders agree that due to, among other issues, rising inequality, environmental degradation and the profound impact of emerging technologies on human life, the future will not be a gradual extension of the past.

The question is: how can businesses use the present moment as an opportunity to create a thriving future for our societies?

To address this urgent question, we conducted an extensive study across fourteen countries, from Asia Pacific to the Middle East to Latin America. Our research provides a peek into the future of five such emerging lifestyles that have been accelerated by changes in individual choices and that put the role of businesses into the spotlight.

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Five emerging lifestyles

Each of the lifestyle shifts we studied present future growth opportunities for businesses. Organizations can seize these opportunities by enabling more people to improve their well-being and by finding new, environmentally friendly solutions.

The state of health

Influences where we travel. Travelers will need to accept new social norms and health measures in exchange for renewed freedom of movement. This heightened focus on individual and collective wellbeing will accelerate investments in health services and making digital health more cybersecure.

Environmental concerns

Drive new modes of transport. How we move will hinge on cleaner, more sustainable vehicles. Demand will accelerate for micro-vehicles, e.g. rentable e-bikes, seen as cheaper and time-saving alternatives to other modes of personal transport.

Affordable tech

Increases economic self-sufficiency and enables micro-entrepreneurs to create more income streams, as more young people develop relevant ICT skills.

Smarter habitats

Inspire more connected living. Tech-enabled neighborhoods with hyper-connected 5G networks, IoT and renewable energy infrastructures will offer more vibrant, versatile and sustainable spaces – especially in high-density urban areas.

Responsible denizens

Care about how their spending habits impact communities. A drive for transparency over food and other products is shifting demand to local suppliers.

The role of business will be to foster and embrace human ingenuity while at the same time harnessing technology – from Artificial Intelligence to the Internet of Things to Blockchain – to empower more people to access and enjoy these emerging lifestyles across our societies.

Valentin de Miguel

Senior Managing Director – Chief Strategy Officer, Growth Markets

Valentin is focused on helping C-suite executives develop strategies to transform and reimagine their organizations to enable continuous innovation, from idea to execution.

Dr. Vedrana Savic

Managing Director – Thought leadership

Vedrana’s research focuses on business disruption, enterprise innovation, investment strategy and organizational change.

Trevor Gruzin

Senior Managing Director – Growth & Strategy, Growth Markets

​Trevor focuses on advising companies and governments on strategy (Business, IT, Digital), innovation applied to business and operating models, and transformation. His specific focus is on how technology can disrupt companies and industries.

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