Insights & stories

Looking ahead to 2030 and beyond, the improvement of the network and capabilities of XR terminals will push XR technology into an era of full immersion. XR or ‘extended reality’ is an umbrella term for virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR). What real life applications can we expect, roughly in a decade from now?

Soon – possibly sooner than we think - our online orders will be delivered to our homes by a self-driving or even flying and, moreover, non-polluting robot. In fact, two American companies using such robots have already received the licences required to roll out autonomous deliveries in the coming months in Silicon Valley. “So it’s just a matter of time before we see them flying and driving around here as well”, anticipates Joachim De Vos.

Imagine a teleconference, with holograms instead of a checkerboard of faces. Or digital communication including smell, hearing and touch, in addition to sight and sound. Pure science fiction? Not really. It is what researchers think possible by 2030, through 6G. Today, we are surrounded by digital technologies that make our lives easier. Tomorrow, the immersive experience of 6G will blur the boundaries between the digital and physical world.

At the Future Forward Talk Joachim De Vos sits down with a key figure from one of our partner companies. He had a conversation with Marleen Porto-Carrero, managing partner of Farys, the Intermunicipal Company of Flanders for water distribution.

Artificial intelligence or “AI” for short: these two letters symbolize a world of technological possibilities that seemed inconceivable only a few years ago. AI is no longer just a secret code among techies. It has quite literally taken up residence in our living rooms through connected home appliances, as well as in our offices, where intelligent systems in smartphones and e-mail boxes serve as our virtual assistants.

Building the home of the future also means looking into the future of the construction industry. Frederik Vaes (UAU Collectiv) and Bart Thijs, two architects behind our new ‘Living Tomorrow’ campus, see several important developments. “The soaring prices of energy and building materials and the importance of sustainability are forcing us to look beyond the latest gadgets and attractive design”, they say.

It is estimated that by 2050 the global population will have risen to 9.7 billion, up from 7.7 billion in 2019. The global economy is expected to more than double over the same period. Urbanization, automation, and the rise of living standards will significantly increase the demand for energy globally. At the same time, we urgently need to reduce our CO₂ emissions to counter climate change.

In the context of the Office of the Future, HP has been investigating the evolution of the work world as a technology partner for several years now. Social trends and findings have been collected and HP has formulated practical advice to provide organizations with maximum support in the evolution towards a hybrid work environment. Not only is there an evolution going on in the world of work, but there is also a shift in education…

Since they were founded, Living Tomorrow and TomorrowLab have been defining companies in the Belgian innovation landscape. Today Living Tomorrow is a leading innovation platform and is on the eve of opening an ambitious innovation campus in Vilvoorde. TomorrowLab is currently guiding innovation strategies and scenarios for top organisations and governments. This impressive growth path and ambitious plans have led to a few shifts in management. Yin Oei becomes CEO of Living Tomorrow and Joachim De Vos, as managing partner, becomes more than ever the driving innovation force of Living Tomorrow Group.

3D printing has found its place in this world. It is a production technique that converts a digital file into a tangible, three-dimensional object by building it up from layers.