Issue A new phase of globalisation that also produces unexpected instability

Summary

The Megatrends 2040 report observes that despite the 2008 economic turmoil, the economic and political ties forged by technology continued and even accelerated. This produced a dynamic new phase of globalisation that has opened new opportunities while also causing unexpected instability. The report points to a contradiction within this phase, as new free trade zones appear alongside a strong push toward protectionism. It adds that the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the fragility of a highly globalised world. Such upheaval, the report suggests, could reshape global interconnection through reviews of strategic sectors and new forms of geopolitical cooperation and coordination.