Matthew GriffinFounder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
G7 · G20governments advised
850+keynotes
102countries
17codexes
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Christiana at the UK Government's Department for International Trade invited Matthew to give the keynote at the department's annual get together, exploring what the future has to offer and how the UK Government can use it to spur growth, investment and jobs in the UK.
Matthew's starting point was that there is not a single industry that is not undergoing dramatic change or disruption. Those changes are happening faster and with more voracity than ever, shifting the global status quo and giving challenger countries, from China and Singapore to the UAE, the chance to overtake incumbent leaders and write the future in their image.
"Today there isn't a single industry that isn't undergoing dramatic change or disruption, and those changes are happening faster and with more voracity than ever before."Matthew Griffin, London, April 2021
During the keynote he discussed the pace of change, its implications and how it is accelerating, then took the audience through a range of industries and topics, from agriculture and energy to wellness and transportation, to show how deep those changes run.
He closed on the UK Government's opportunity: each of these changes is a chance to change the world, change the status quo, and bring new levels of prosperity to the UK, its citizens and its partners.
311 Intelligence
What this means for your leadership team
Change now reaches every sector.
The keynote's starting point was that no industry is standing still. Our trend data on the accelerating rate of change points the same way: faster technology adoption and shorter corporate lifespans are compressing business planning cycles. Leaders who plan on long, fixed cycles will find their assumptions out of date early.
Challengers can rewrite the order.
When change speeds up, the status quo loosens, and countries such as China, Singapore and the UAE can move into the lead. Global trade flows show a similar pattern, with trade being rerouted around the US-China rift and connector economies gaining. Incumbents should treat position as something to defend, not something they own.
Plan for outside rivals and new skills.
Companies are moving into other sectors, so new rivals increasingly come from outside an industry. Skills are also changing faster, which makes continuous reskilling a condition of employment. Energy is one area to watch: deep sea energy systems, which use turbines under the sea to make power, sit on our Watch list.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
Which of our industries could a challenger country overtake first?
Where will our next rival come from outside our sector?
How often do we rebuild our plans and our skills base?
The trends and technologies behind this session
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
It means disruption is no longer limited to a few sectors. Change is faster than before, and it opens the door for challenger countries to overtake incumbents. Organisations should review where they depend on a settled order and where new prosperity could be built.
How does the accelerating rate of change relate to this keynote?
The keynote argued that change is happening faster and with more voracity than ever. Our trend shows faster technology adoption and shorter corporate lifespans, which compress business planning cycles. It carries an Act now rating.
How do global trade flows relate to challenger countries?
Trade is being rerouted around the US-China rift, with connector economies and the Global South gaining. That supports the idea that the global status quo is shifting and that new players can write the future in their image.
How can 311 brief our leadership team on this?
Through a private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector, in person first.
Bring this to your leadership teamA private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector. In person first, anywhere in the world.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s session and 311 data.
If Matthew gave this session today
Whole industries could soon be disrupted in a day.
311 Institute's Future of Exponential Disruption codex examines the forces accelerating global disruption and how close we are to disrupting whole industries in a day, the pace of change Matthew urged the UK to turn into opportunity.
