THE 311 INSTITUTE IS A GLOBAL FUTURES THINK TANK, WORKING BETWEEN THE DATES OF 2020 AND 2070, AND WE HELP ORGANISATIONS, REGULATORS AND GOVERNMENTS ENVISION, BUILD, AND LEAD AN INCLUSIVE FUTURE THAT BENEFITS EVERYONE.

If you’re in a hurry to learn how you can prepare yourself, your country, community, or company for the dramatic transformation of all areas of life that lie ahead in the future then you’re in great company. Founded in 2016, the 311 Institute has grown into one of the most prominent think tanks for futures thinking and digital transformation in the world, working with the G8, and industry visionaries. We prime and prepare people for the “great challenges” that lie ahead and bring people together to come up with unconventional answers to everyday challenges that range from the mundane and the extraordinary, to the unbelievable and the unimaginable.

“We are basically optimists who believe that technology can be used for the good of humanity. That’s why we want to educate and inspire people, and put them in a position to understand and use exponential technologies,” says Matthew Griffin, Founder and CEO of the 311 Institute, referring to technologies such as artificial intelligence, gene editing, nanotechnology, semiconductors, and beyond, whose power virtually doubles every year.

In Matthew’s view, society has a lot of catching up to do if we are to be ready for a ubiquitously connected future in which virtually any question, even a complicated medical diagnosis, can be answered with a dense network of sensors and intelligent devices.

“As soon as I graduate from a university, my knowledge is already outdated. It would be naive to ascribe magic powers to new technologies. But they can unlock new opportunities for tackling humanity’s great unsolved challenges, from poverty and hunger to education to health. We believe,” Matthew adds, “in a future of abundance, not of deprivation. And we should all help build this future for the benefit of all of us, not just one country, or one group of elite individuals.”

FROM VISIONARY ENTREPRENEURS AND PRIME MINISTERS TO THE WORLD’S LEADING BRANDS, OUR CUSTOMERS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TOUCH EVERY PART OF PEOPLE’S EVERY DAY LIVES, TODAY AND EVEN MORE SO IN THE FUTURE.

At the 311 Institute what we do is best summarised by our customers, we “provide them with the information and insights to help them produce a point of view of what will happen in their short, near and long term future.”

What this really translates into of course is that our insights give our customers back that most precious commodity – time. By helping them envision and predict the future with more clarity and certainty than ever before our insights help them see and assess opportunities and threats alike years, and sometimes even decades, before they emerge. The result is that they have a significantly longer period of time to adapt and adjust to these new realities than their peers, and can take their time to carefully craft and implement new strategies that, literally and figuratively, put them ahead of their competition.

WE LOVE CHALLENGES, AND THE MORE DIFFICULT THEY ARE THE MORE WE LOVE THEM. WHETHER IT’S LANDING LUNAR ROVERS ON THE MOON, TURNING DESERTS INTO FARMLAND, OR ENVISIONING WHAT COMES AFTER THE SMARTPHONE WE DON’T SHIRK AWAY FROM ANY CHALLENGE. IN FACT THE BIGGER THE BETTER.

It’s often said that innovation is hard, but when you can see the problems, and you can see the emerging technologies that could be used to solve them, suddenly it’s as though the fog that clouded your creativity has lifted. This is why, in part, we’ve been so successful in helping the world’s leading brands envision the future of their industries, and helping them envision and create the future products and services that will help keep their companies prosperous and vibrant.