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    Trendsetting: Impact and Innovation in 2025

    In a world characterized by rapid changes, new crises, and growing global challenges, innovation and sustainable solutions are more important than ever. Our business developer, Emilia, shares her insights on the key impact trends of the year – from resilient communities and green energy to AI-driven solutions.

     

    Porträttbild på Emilia Sundberg som står i en lounge i Science Park Towers.

    Emilia Sundberg, business developer, shares her insights looking ahead to 2025.

    What is resilience?

    Resilience runs like a common thread through this year’s impact insights, so let’s start by understanding what it really means. At its core, resilience is about the ability to face adversity, adapt, and emerge stronger.

    A resilient community can be described as follows:

     

    It’s a society that can withstand crises, adapt, and emerge stronger than ever. A society where we stand together – whether it’s about tackling climate change, building resilient systems, or supporting each other during tough times.

    In short, resilience is about preparing for the future – no matter what it may bring.

    Impact Trends for 2025:

    Resilient and Robust Societies 🏙️

    Democracy, voting rights, a free press, and public institutions free from corruption are things many of us take for granted. Unfortunately, this is not the case in the world we live in today. The global landscape is uncertain, with geopolitical tensions in many regions and rapid, unpredictable shifts. These circumstances place increased demands on a well-functioning society with robust public institutions and other societal functions that uphold democratic values. Areas that could benefit from new ideas and innovations include healthcare, local government, law enforcement, emergency services, and more. The common thread is innovations that build resilient communities and individuals, with a focus on collaboration and unity.

    HealthTech and a Healthier Society ❤️‍🩹

    Healthcare is becoming increasingly advanced, with new vaccines, medicines, and treatments being developed constantly. At the same time, we’re living longer, and waiting lists are growing. Although we are physically healthier than ever, mental health issues like anxiety, stress, and worry are on the rise. The challenges are many. Innovation and smart systems are needed to include, improve, simplify, and prevent.

     

    Sustainable Fashion Industry, Textile Recycling, and New Materials.

    The textile industry continues to be a major challenge in the shift toward a more sustainable society, with the use of toxic chemicals in production being a significant issue. The entire textile value chain remains largely non-circular, making it difficult for consumers to make the right choices. The new law in Sweden requiring the separate handling and recycling of textile waste could hopefully lead to more sustainable resource use, as well as the emergence of new companies and innovations in the sector. There’s also a need for new materials and systems for sorting and recycling. However, there’s growing debate about whether companies should be responsible for managing this, rather than municipalities or consumers – a discussion that has also been raised in the context of plastic recycling

    Food Resilience and Foodtech 🥬

    The concept of resilience appears in different contexts, and here it refers to new approaches for building a sustainable and resilient food system. This ties into community preparedness but also includes solutions for energy efficiency, distribution, new crops suited for a warmer climate, reducing food waste, and plant-based protein sources, among others.

    Green Energy, Smart Energy Systems, and Storage ⚡️

    It’s no surprise that energy plays a critical role in the climate transition, and that impact companies in the energy sector were at the forefront in 2024. The energy transition faces many challenges, particularly political ones, but it’s clear that we still need innovative solutions in this space, like in battery storage, efficiency improvements, and more.

    Innovations and Strategies for Boosting Biodiversity 🌷

    Sweden, like many other countries, is behind on this issue. Protecting wildlife and nature while cities expand, industries grow, and so on, is essential for ensuring things like clean water, fresh air, and fertile soil. Local governments, for example, could play an important role in setting requirements for new construction projects to support these goals.

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    AI + Circularity 🤖

    Can AI accelerate circularity and help us come up with smart solutions for a more circular society? Experts are predicting this, and many are hoping that 2025 will be the year we truly begin to understand the potential of using AI to tackle societal challenges.

    Innovation for Climate Adaptation – Adaptation Solutions 🌏

    Climate change continues to impact both society and the planet, and in some areas, it’s no longer about reversing negative trends but rather adapting the way we live and build our communities. This is why more innovations are needed for adaptation across various sectors. The push for adaptation could come from unexpected sources, such as insurance companies and banks, who are recognizing that the risks of certain projects—like construction—are too high, due to factors like flood risks or the use of unsustainable building materials.

    Redefining Value and Celebrating Human Imperfections.

    According to Trendwatching.com, today’s economically turbulent and uncertain society is shaping new values and a changed perception of what creates value, especially among Gen Z. For companies, this means finding alternative ways to attract customers by offering value beyond just the financial. People are also increasingly seeking authenticity and the messy, imperfect reality of life, beyond AI-generated content and perfect influencer worlds. How far this trend will go, and whether it will apply only to a smaller, more extreme subgroup of the population, remains to be seen.

    DefenceTech 🪖

    Given the situation in our region and many parts of the world, this area of innovation is set to grow in the future. One local sign of this is not only SAAB’s involvement but also Linköping’s LEAD incubator’s accelerator program focused on civil-military strategies, known as dual use. Another indicator is NATO’s venture capital firm, which for the first time participated in the Go West matching and investor event in Gothenburg last year. We’re also seeing growing interest in drones, robots, and smart surveillance systems, not just within the defense industry but also for civilian use.

    EU Legislation, Directives, and Reporting Standards 🇪🇺

    Ongoing EU legislation, directives, and reporting standards will, in various ways, impact businesses and how they approach sustainability. For example, the new sustainability reporting standard (CSRD), which will apply to more companies starting in 2025, is still a bit of a mystery in terms of its effects. However, it’s clear that it will require significant effort from individual companies. It’s now up to the EU to prove whether these directives will actually make a difference in corporate sustainability efforts or just add more bureaucracy. Ursula Von der Leyen has already suggested the possibility of merging some sustainability reporting directives, which could lead to renegotiations in the European Parliament and potentially a weakening of parts of The Green Deal. Another key issue is how the political instability in France and Germany will affect the EU, as well as how relations between the EU, the US, and the rest of the world will evolve. Donald Trump has already announced that he plans to scrap the Inflation Reduction Act, the US counterpart to the EU’s Green Deal, should he return to power.

    New Situations and Crises Foster Innovation 🗺️

    While no one knows exactly what new crises, challenges, or events we will face in 2025, one thing is certain: humanity tends to be most creative and solution-focused when we need to resolve a challenge quickly. A concerning trend is that climate change is becoming increasingly evident, and 2024 was the hottest year on record globally. Perhaps, as the climate crisis becomes more acute and hits closer to home, it will awaken humanity’s true innovative potential and drive for change? When the pandemic struck, major pharmaceutical companies came together and developed the groundbreaking mRNA vaccine technology in record time. This shows that we can accomplish great things when we truly need and want to. Could 2025 be the year we finally start seeing real change?