Commentary
The new normal of urban growth
Cities are not like they used to be. Cities all over the world are repurposing themselves and building new narratives of their future success. While the rest of society defines progress in increasingly economic terms, cities have started thinking more about their population and their capacity to create a flourishing environment…
Read More3 Guidelines for Corporations Wishing to Grasp Collaborative Platforms
Facebook, AirBnB, Zipcar, Ebay and Wikipedia. The biggest new services have transformed the ways we eat, sleep, move, communicate and consume. And more often than not, they are also good business. Robin Chase, the co-founder of Zipcar and the author of Peers Inc., visited Demos Helsinki to share her thinking…
Read MoreStatement to the Finnish Parliament Committee for the Future about the Biggest Challenges
Topic: 20/2015 vp Parliament Committee for the Future projects 2015-2019 Theme: Expert hearing on the most important challenges of the future and means to improve foresight processes. Statement by Demos Helsinki: There are three things that everyone needs to understand. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next year, not next…
Read MoreThe Internet of Things is not about technology, it’s about society
When talking about Internet of Things, usually the first thing that comes into your mind is technology. Sensors, electronics and networks. Throw a bit of software in the mix and you’re all set, right? Not exactly. In the future, new technologies will emerge and yes, they are a fundamental part of the Internet…
Read MoreThe changes leading to hyperconnected world will shape our values and identities
Think about your life at the moment. What are the most important things in your life? How have they changed in the past years? Values shape our opinions about what is important in life. Values are relatively stable, linked to cultural context and once adapted they are not easily changed.…
Read MoreHot tips for Slush 2015
Demos Helsinki is part of Slush 2015, one of Europe’s biggest technology and startup event! Follow this schedule and find us at Slush 2015: WEDNESDAY 11th NOV 2015 10:30–10:50 // GREEN STAGE Impact Ecosystem: Accelerating non-profits Demos Helsinki’s Maria Ritola interviewing Kate Courteau from Y-Combinator 13:00–13:45 Meet Sitra Impact Challenge startups: for more information, contact julia.jousilahti@demoshelsinki.fi 14:00–14:15 // GREEN STAGE…
Read MoreThis is not a Smart City
Urbanisation is one of the most important megatrends to shape global society of the 21st century. However, urbanisation puts a strain on the quality of life in cities, as well as the management of big infrastructure systems, such as city traffic and energy usage. The Smart City approach is the…
Read MoreMultiplying computing power will revolutionize the forms of ownership
Have you ever heard of Moore’s law? Well, Moore’s law was developed by entrepreneur and engineer Gordon E. Moore in 1970. He stated that the computing power doubles every two years. Interestingly, this observation has been quite accurate for the last 40 years. For almost twenty years now, consumers have…
Read MoreHow to ensure sustainable and happy life in the future?
At the moment Finns do well. Finland leads the charts in human wellbeing year after year. But there are problems behind the corner. With our current way of life, this level of wellbeing is impossible to maintain. The average Finn uses approximately three and a half times more resources than…
Read MoreA possibility is not a capability in the hyperconnected world
Since its creation internet was a promise. It would provide us a vast amount of information and connect us globally. Thanks to internet, we would find new solutions for all fields of business and solve societal problems. And yes, almost all of us use the internet. But how many of…
Read MoreFuture of work is one of hyperconnected world’s key tensions
Our world is becoming hyperconnected. It means that the physical and the virtual world will collide, come together and exchange qualities. The impact of automation and digitalization on the future of work has been debated for a long time already. One of the most well-known book of the debate is Jeremy…
Read MoreYou’ll forget most of today’s top brands – and this is why
Do these chief executives ring any bells: Cyrus Comstock, John Stephenson, Henry Fitz and Roy Stanhope? Thought so. 100 years ago everyone knew them as they were the most valued manufacturers of horse carriages, racing fiercely over market dominance. Obviously we don’t know them because of a now seemingly self-evident paradigmatic…
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