The Future 100: 2024

As we enter 2024 and beyond it’s clear that innovation is not just a nice to have but a necessity, as the world adapts to climate change and environmental challenges. As they say: necessity is the mother of invention, and this principle will certainly apply to the energy industry in the coming year.

Discover the latest energy trends!

Key Energy Trends

Spatial tech

Physical and digital worlds continue to blur with advances in spatial computing. According to Tom Emrich, the spatial tech category “is just coming together. But this means that it presents a massive opportunity for app developers, for web developers, for brands and retailers especially, to get their feet wet.”

Why it's interesting

As digital and physical worlds come closer together, the market is expected to grow from $97.9 billion in 2023 to $280.5 billion by 2028, according to MarketsandMarkets.

Climate-adaptive lives

Climate adaptive 03 — Techniche cooling garments

Extreme climate conditions are changing every aspect of our lives. While these new weather patterns are undoubtedly dangerous, they are also driving innovation across sectors to help us adapt such as the future of workwear, agriculture, and cities of the future.

Why it's interesting

“Extreme weather is becoming the new normal,” Guterres said. Extreme weather is not going anywhere—and it will continue to reshape our daily lives and drive innovation.

Supercharging destinations

Next-gen electric vehicle charging stations could transform a chore into an entertainment opportunity. The rise in EV use means more demand for EV charging stations and, with charging taking at least 30 minutes for a top-up, companies are dreaming up ways to turn this waiting time into a leisure and entertainment opportunity.

Why it's interesting

With EV manufacturers, entertainment brands, and energy companies all imagining how to amplify this experience, the concept of charging that combines with entertainment and leisure is an area to watch.