Attendees at the ISE 2015 keynote speech, taking place on the eve of the exhibition’s opening, will be presented with a unique roadmap to the future of the electronics industry from Lars Thomsen, one of Europe’s leading business futurists.
Thomsen specialises in identifying ‘tipping points’, the moment at which major change can be accurately predicted in any given industry. A ‘tipping point’, according to Thomsen, is the point when a visible business or social trend becomes a new paradigm. For example, when technology becomes sufficiently inexpensive that mass market adoption becomes possible it has reached a ‘tipping point’.
At ISE 2015 Thomsen – a business consultant who has advised 40% of the German Stock Market’s Top 100 companies – will present ‘520 Weeks into the Future: Trends and Tipping Points in the Electronic Systems Industry until 2025’. The speech will explore such areas as AI and self-learning, Robotics 2.0, plus large scale changes in media, marketing and consumer expectations.
When asked what the role of a futurist is, Thomsen said there is nothing magical about it. “You start,” he said, “by having the curiosity of a five year old… but then, predicting the future is about data and information and applied knowledge. Add to that some logic, some insight and some information and it’s not really hard to do. It’s not about crystal balls!”
Thomsen is confident that his keynote will be a thought-provoking experience for attendees: “I’ll be focussing on making people think,” he said. “What I’ll be trying to do is to leave the audience with two or three vivid pictures of the future in their heads that they want to go home and discuss with their friends and family.”
The keynote speech will take place at 18:00 in the Forum on Monday 9 February shortly after the conclusion of the Smart Building Conference. The keynote will be followed by the ISE Opening Party, taking place in the Forum Lounge from 19:00.