Renewable energy, including solar and wind, is rapidly becoming the cheapest form of electricity there is. The prospect of cheap, limitless, emissions-free energy is here. Harnessing it will take a transformation of our infrastructure and demand that consumers and businesses adapt to new technologies. To capture the benefits of clean energy, we’ll need more of our energy use to come from the electric socket, rather than from fuels that flow directly into our cars, homes and factories. We’ll...

Cities are at the frontline of climate change. They are major producers of emissions and, as home to more than half the world’s population, they are also where the human impact will be most severely felt. How can innovations in engineering and infrastructure help us re-imagine and re-design our cities to become sources of green innovation? How can cities become more resilient in a climate-stressed future? We explore with urban security and climate experts Robert Muggah, Trude Rauken, Thomas...

Efforts are underway to redesign the way the internet works, with a focus on putting citizens in greater control of their data. In this episode, we explore what a more user-centric data economy might mean for the dominant businesses and business models of our day. Who will be the winners and losers in the future of the data economy? Featuring Jaron Lanier, Tim O'Reilly, Marietje Schaake, and John Bruce. Disclaimer: The findings and views expressed in the podcast are for information only and...

Brightly coloured, electrically-assisted bikes and scooters, rented via smartphone platforms, are crowding out street corners in cities across the globe – making cities greener and more liveable. But many questions remain around vehicle safety and governance, whether the business models really work, and whether they are really as environmentally friendly as they claim to be. In this episode we explore the forces shaping the future of urban mobility with analyst Horace Dediu, policy advisor...

Increases in life expectancy and declining fertility are driving growth in both the number and proportion of older people globally. Some fear that ageing populations will put ever greater pressure on health systems, social care, housing and public finances. But should we be thinking differently about ageing? Is there an opportunity in a so-called silver economy? In this episode we explore how technology can support people to age better while reducing the burden on health systems, how longer...

Proponents of a burgeoning education technology or 'ed tech' sector say digital learning platforms can radically transform how education is delivered, bringing a far better education to far more people—and help solve a global learning crisis. But adoption has been slow, with classrooms today little different from how they were half a century ago. Will the experiences of remote teaching and learning, enforced by covid-19, speed up innovation in the sector—or have they exposed flaws in the...

In this episode, we explore how a convergence of healthcare technologies, and in particular AI, promise to speed up and lower the cost of drug discovery and development—and the implications for medical breakthroughs and the economics of healthcare. In this episode we explore how a convergence of healthcare technologies, and in particular artificial intelligence, promise to speed up and lower the cost of drug discovery and development—and the implications for medical breakthroughs and the...

Experts warn that growing demand for food, and particularly for meat, cannot be met sustainably. Advances in synthetic biology and precision fermentation could allow us to replace fundamental sources of protein with lab-grown substitutes—feeding many more with much less. But is technological innovation enough to determine change in what we eat? How will consumers, industry incumbents and policymakers, shape how such technology is used?  We explore with the technologists at Finnish...

New Foundations is new podcast from The Economist Intelligence Unit, supported by Pictet Wealth Management. Across eight episodes, we explore technological breakthroughs and bold ideas with the potential to bring about radical social, environmental and economic change — and look at the forces, and the actors, that will accelerate, slow down and shape that change. Disclaimer: The findings and views expressed in the podcast are for information only and are not intended as an offer or...