
Future Forces 2023 Report
The six megatrends shaping business over the next decade.
Change is a constant, but effective business leaders understand that disruption also brings growth opportunities.
To help business leaders gain a better understanding of the major forces shaping this change, Ashurst collaborated with Economist Impact to explore a wide range of ongoing developments across technology, geopolitics, macroeconomics, international trade, population demographics and environmental science. This analysis identified six megatrends - powerful forces believed to have the potential to change the global economy, business and society in the next decade.
Six Megatrends
Access the report and information about each megatrend
Key findings
- Enthusiasm abounds about opportunities in creating resilient cities, with 43% of respondents excited about opportunities amid the need to modernise the built environment and civil infrastructure.
- Sustainability is simultaneously a huge opportunity and the toughest challenge of all for business, with enormous regulatory implications and burdens. Respondents deem financial climate disclosure, supply chain transparency and other ESG rules as more likely than any other regulatory developments to impact their business over the next decade.
- Skills for the future, digitalisation and the net zero transition are interlinked and key to addressing all six megatrends.
- Adapting to demographic change is a major challenge, cutting across changing customer needs, increased bargaining power of labour and meeting the needs of the inhabitants of densely populated and dynamic cities.
- Businesses have huge capability gaps, with 8/9 out of 10 executives surveyed seeing current business resilience, innovation, tech and management vision as insufficient.
Click on our report to read more.
Data highlights
View our infographic to understand the key data points that are highlighted in the report
Industry perspectives
Explore sector articles about the impact of the megatrends on key industries
How we can help
Our core legal team also works seamlessly with our Ashurst Risk Advisory team to provide practical and commercial approaches to managing risk, driving change and operational performance. We also draw on our technology team to provide advanced electronic collaboration, automation and production tools to provide faster, more consistent and cost-effective legal services.

Sign up to Ashurst Megatrends
Sign up below to keep up to date with new content relating to Megatrends, including the release of our deep dive articles.
Sign up