Focus
Pioneering the transition to a new future of living, supported by digital technologies relies on expanding our scope to include a wider definition of the future of living.
Central to the societal transition we face is the SDG starting point to include all, stated as ‘leave no one behind’. This implies a good understanding of the needs of different target groups and designing business strategies that make these target groups wanting to adopt transformative offers. We believe that co-creation based offers as part of a broader co-created future-proofing roadmap is essential to nurture group processes and gradually build self-confident active communities.
Technological developments will show more locally based intelligence and functionalities. Energy, water infrastructures will converge with other infrastructures. Buildings will not only use roofs but facade and maybe even windows to generate energy. Neighbourhoods will join forces to benefit scale for both project execution as well as accessibility and affordability for all.
Battery technology and other forms of energy storage will be integrated into homes, neighbourhoods, cities, integrated with vehicles and streets, allowing energy to be stored and drawn down from multiple access points making the city a smart grid and smart storage network.
Driverless vehicles will impact the need for parking space and streets, while ensuring high on-demand availability of mobility and energy storage functionality.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put huge attention on the way we use our homes, the way we take care of our health and the need for more and more individual sensoring and lifestyle support. We see active monitoring and control of both inner- as well as outer air quality as a prime priority to maintain liveability. We also see opportunities for existing street- and house infrastructure, to be reimagined and renewed to create open, safe and healthy spaces for people to connect, kids to play and serving communities to thrive.
The future will demand far more energy to power a connected world. We believe that energy will be cheap and abundant from local, renewable (micro)generation. It will be smart and controllable, enabling users to regulate what they use and when. Excess energy will be shared back to the grid, opening options for trading.
We condense this networked citizen-centric future of living into three focus areas:
1.5-Degree Lifestyle
Future of Living
All of us need to rethink why-we-do-what-we-do to find answers to start living a 1.5-Degree Lifestyle; everything is interconnected and plays a role within a larger living infrastructure. This includes the way we need to renew the lay-out of our neighbourhoods and houses, energy- and health performance. The way we integrate energy generation making our houses generate more energy than we actually need. Bringing nature back into our living space providing cooling, water absorption, air cleaning and places to meet.
Our housing- and office infrastructure will transform to a decarbonised and digitally-interconnected home system. Digital technologies are the key enabler for this transition, making the maintenance and control of our living and health comfort, accessible and affordable for all in an efficient, reliable and trustworthy manner.
Not only that but supporting the move from sustainability to regenerative living and working infrastructure.
One aspect of this transition that presents great potential is the ability to merge energy, water, health, finance and adjacent industries, increasing flexibility and integration across entire systems. Think of impact on the building- and installation industry that needs to step up to contribute to this societal need.
Key though to successful transformation will be the nurturing and acceleration of building communities, that take ownership to build and maintain a liveable and regenerative living environment for all in their community space.
As a result, we believe now is an unprecedented time for action for today’s ‘living industry’.
Future of Cities
Accelerating urbanisation leeds mankind to face a number of challenges that must be overcome to maintain and improve quality of life for all citizens.
The consequences are far-reaching and impactful: freshwater scarcity, piles of garbage, permanent traffic gridlock and air pollution already impacting health and life quality in a negative way. Many cities and municipalities are trying to meet these challenges, but are lacking budgets, long-term vision and courage to join a long-term journey.
One key solution is smart cities. Smart cities are on one side connected and intelligent, contributing to a better quality of life and circular products and material cycles. On the other hand smart cities know how to make smart decisions and facilitate their citizens to be smart in their contributions to the liveability for all.
Future of Technologies
We believe that the future of living and cities will be shaped by advances in technology in support of societal development.
We will tap into the frontier of deep technologies that will have the promise to facilitate the shaping of the future of living and cities in the years to come, including the fields of AI and machine learning, Blockchain and social engagement and security.