The Next Five

Hard to abate sectors; the heavy industries of steel, cement, chemicals plus transport, aviation and mining are responsible for nearly a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. Decarbonising heavy industry at scale is no longer just an environmental imperative; it is a massive economic advantage if you get it right and even worse if you fail to do so. For decades, the narrative surrounding these ‘hard-to-abate' sectors has been trapped in a paralysing triad of assumptions: that transforming the backbone of world industry is simply too risky to execute, too complex to engineer, and far too expensive to justify. And on paper, that cost argument seems real. Clean production alternatives still carry a severe green premium. Near-zero steel costs anywhere from 10 to 75 percent more to produce. Green cement? You’re looking at a 30 to 125 percent price increase. Joining host Tom Parker is Dino Otranto, CEO of Fortescue Metals, Axel Eggert, Director General of EUROFER, The European Steel Association and Bertrand…

Throughout history, statecraft was defined by borders, battlelines, and territory. In the 20th century, global power shifted to financial capital and energy reserves. Today, with the digital revolution well underway, does real authority now belong to those who control our data and code? And what does sovereignty now mean in a fast changing AI landscape? Back in the day it used to mean keeping data in a local server room. But today, frontier AI models are advancing at pace, some argue at a speed we can’t control and regulatory lines are being redrawn across the world to try and keep up. Governments and boardrooms now face a fundamental question: who’s controlling who? And what can we do about it? Joining host Tom Parker is Charlie Giancarlo, Chairman and CEO of Everpure, Sana Khareghani, Chief Strategy Officer at Era4, Professor of Practice in AI at King’s College London, AI Policy Lead for Responsible AI UK and Former Head of UK Government Office for Artificial Intelligence and Clare Schramm Fergus, Managing…

Imagine it’s 2006, not 2026. You’re an automobile factory manager, looking at combustion engine vehicles moving through the assembly line. A sight that has been seen since the Model T Ford, a century earlier. Today, you’re still watching legacy internal combustion engines roll off one side but high-voltage battery packs drop into electric chassis on the other. Electric vehicles could account for just over a quarter of global new car sales this year and as much as half of light vehicles sold worldwide by 2035. 5 years ago, it was just 9%. Across the industry, the ground is shifting under automakers' feet. Yet the rumbling is being felt much more in some countries than others. The map of ICE (Internal Combustion Engine), EV and autonomous dominance is being rewritten. Joining host Tom Parker is Niall Healy, Chief Operating Officer at Trade Nation, Marc Palmer, Head of Strategy & Insights at Autotrader and Professor Peter Wells, Professor of Business and Sustainability, Centre for Automotive Industry Research,…

Supply and demand. The foundational backbone of market economies. And we’re in the AI era, where demand and supply is being rewritten. Behind this AI revolution, sits a monumental physical buildout and energy demand. Globally, data centre power consumption will double by 2030 toward 945 terawatt-hours, consuming more power than the entire nation of Japan. In some regions the strain is already visible: data centres accounted for more than a fifth of Ireland's national electricity consumption in 2022 and predicted to reach nearly a third this year. Stateside, in 2023, when less powerful models existed, roughly a quarter of electricity use in the US state of Virginia was sucked up by data centres. And yet, McKinsey estimates that there will still be $7tn in global data-centre infrastructure investment by 2030. Then come the Hyperscalers, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and Oracle who are expected to spend around $670bn on AI-related capital expenditure this year alone, and nearly $800bn next year. The nine…

It’s Q3 2026, the systems that form the global economy are currently being rewritten by the digitally led, fourth industrial revolution and the geopolitical repositioning of power. You’re an investment banker, a portfolio manager or a retail investor looking at trading screens flash red and green. There’s a hive of activity. But what to make of it.The indicators continue to flash, but the signals are conflicting. On one side sits the bull case: real AI driven corporate revenue, strong earnings, record stock prices and the unprecedented cash flow of the Hyperscalers. On the other side sits the bear case: historically concentrated index valuations, an ever widening gap between monetisation and infrastructure spending, and an increasingly fragile global debt landscape.It leaves you, as well as other investors, economists, and central banks asking some big questions: Are we witnessing a durable, tech-driven productivity shift? A once in multiple generation opportunity to transform individual, corporate and…

Sovereignty, by definition, is being updated. Sovereignty 2.0. Under geopolitical tensions, supply chain dependencies and competing regional regulations, the discussion around digital sovereignty is shaping where you're allowed to build, what models you’re allowed to train on, and who's allowed to see the results. Competing lines are being drawn. On one side there are those calling for the democratisation of AI and opening the global doors to innovation. On another is a fragmented map of regional regulations, like the strict mandates of the EU AI Act. Bubbling underneath is the geopolitical chess match, primarily between the US and China, turning data, frontier models and the infrastructure behind them into a matter of national security. All of this offers up some big questions for governments and businesses. One no bigger than this: Can global enterprise innovation really survive in a world of digital borders? Joining host Tom Parker is Stéphane Israël, Managing Director of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud…

We’re at the start of Q3 2026. Every day that passes, individuals, managers, executives and boards are crunching their internal numbers. They’re working out if the millions of dollars spent on cutting edge agentic AI deployment over the previous 2 years is showing signs of meaningful ROI. If figures from the first half of 2025 were anything to go on, the juice was not worth the squeeze. MIT’s Gen AI Divide Report 2025 showed that ninety-five percent of generative AI projects in H1 last year failed to deliver demonstrable ROI. Ninety-five percent. But, what happened to that remaining five percent? What secret engine were those elite organisations running that the rest of the market is completely missed? Is it really a gap in technical horsepower? Did they structure innovation better? Manage risk more competently? Or did they grant their teams the power to experiment more freely than the rest? Joining host Tom Parker is Steve Tarcza, Director of AI & Developer Acceleration for Stores at Amazon, alongside Jim…

Thirty years ago, the role of the CFO was vastly different. While they still looked ahead to build budgets, they acted more like historians, studying the past performance to manage the books, taxes and audits, but largely kept out of board level email chains. Today, most CFOs at the top of their game barely recognise the environment they started their careers in. They are now less a historian and more a fortune teller, sitting firmly at the right hand of the CEO and guiding big strategic discussions . AI’s predictive modelling and big data crunching makes wearing the co-pilot hat for a CFO that much more comfortable as they help navigate their companies through global risks and critical business wide decisions. Joining the host,Tom Parker, to discuss the role of the CFO in an AI future is Patrick Villanova, CFO at BlackLine, Olya Brase, EVP of Finance Optimisation and Governance at Highgate and Gina Gutzeit, Senior Managing Director and Global Leader of the Office of the CFO Solutions practice at FTI…

We are living in an era defined by a new kind of power shift. It’s not only measured in borders and markets but in Gigawatts and Gigaflops. Every line of code generated and every industrial process optimised by Artificial Intelligence is tethered to a physical reality: the Data Centre. These silent, humming monoliths have become the new cathedrals of the 21st century, and their appetite is unprecedented. How on earth are we going to be able to create and sustain the power demand of AI? But this isn't just a technical challenge; it’s a diplomatic powder keg. With the Strait of Hormuz slowly recovering from a blockade and the global energy market reeling from price hikes, we have entered a world of energy realism. Furthermore, is the machine a monster that will break our grids and stall the transition? Or is it the only navigator capable of steering us through the complexities of a changing climate and the demands of a green transition? Joining the host ,Tom Parker, is José Manuel Durão Barroso, Prime Minister…

For the past few years, the corporate world has been boldly surfing the initial wave of AI excitement. Boardrooms worldwide have poured hundreds of billions of dollars into Artificial Intelligence, fueled by grand promises of economic revolution. We were told productivity would skyrocket, costs would vanish, and businesses would effortlessly scale. But as the fiscal years roll over, executives are searching for the next wave of provable returns and exploring what they will need to do to catch it and surf it to the beach of productivity gains. The challenge for this next generation of technology, specifically autonomous Agentic AI, is to prove it can deliver measurable, repeatable business value at scale. But unlocking that value requires a total architectural overhaul. It means completely re-engineering the internal human workforce, and ultimately, altering how the customer experiences an organisation from the outside. Giles Bryan, General Manager CX, NiCE, alongside Chris Herbert, Customer Service Director…

It’s 2026. You’re the CEO of a global bank or the Head of Surgery at a major hospital. An AI system looks at a complex set of volatile market data, or a patient’s decade-long medical history, and gives you a directive. It doesn’t just give you a percentage of probability. It tells you exactly what to do. But here is the catch: If that decision fails, "the machine told me so" won’t hold up in court, in the boardroom, or at a patient’s bedside. For a few years now, we’ve played a game of ‘black box’ roulette, using AI that predicts the future based on the past. But in a world of sudden market shifts and unprecedented global change, the past is no longer a reliable map. We are entering the era of Automated Reasoning. This is the shift from AI that guesses to AI that proves. It’s a market for explainable systems that is set to hit nearly ten billion dollars this year, doubling by 2032. Because today, leaders don’t just need an answer; they need the logic behind it. They need a ‘glass box’ they can trust. Scott…

According to the World Economic Forum's Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 report, we've hit a historic tipping point. For the first time, CEOs now rank cyber-enabled fraud as their number one digital concern, officially overtaking ransomware. The threat is no longer about a hacker locking your files, it's about a machine mimicking your identity. But why does this matter? Well, because when trust collapses, the economy stops. If you can't verify who you're paying, you stop paying. If you can't verify who you're hiring, you stop growing. We are no longer just defending data. We are defending the very possibility of digital trust. Today we're discussing the rise of digital ghosts, the death of the voice call and the defensive technologies emerging to save our digital identities, economies and society itself. Joining Tom Parker to examine the future of fraud in our digital world are three experts, Hubert Behaghel, CPTO at Veriff, an identity verification software company, Gareth Murray, Financial Crime Senior…

As the UN’s Secretary-General António Guterres said in July this year, “Now, we are on the cusp of a new era. Fossil fuels are running out of road. The sun is rising on a clean energy age.” Renewables and nuclear did reach an historic 40% share of global electricity generation in 2024, with renewables alone supplying roughly 32% of global power for the first time. But the length of this road and the speed we are travelling down it, will determine the success of the world’s energy transition. In this episode we explore where we are in the energy transition, the challenges, technologies and the policies. Joining Tom as guests are Elisabeth Cremona, Senior Energy Analyst for Europe at Ember, Massimo Battaini, CEO of Prysmian and María Mendiluce, CEO of We Mean Business Coalition. Sources: FT Resources This content is paid for by Prysmian and is produced in partnership with the Financial Times' Commercial Department. The views and claims expressed are those of the guests alone and have not been independently…

The fourth industrial revolution is upon us in every way. Technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, are growing up fast. So too must the humans that deploy and use it. Evolution is usually a slow process, yet businesses around the world must quickly reconfigure the way they work to gain the advantages that technology can afford. In this episode three experts join Tom to look at the human part of tech transformation, how we are adapting to work alongside tech such as AI, and how organisations are transforming their business operations to best adapt to the current and future needs of a tech savvy workforce. They are, Natalie Douglas, CFO at Liberty Blume, Professor Ashley Braganza, Chair in Business Transformation and Founder of Brunel University’s Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Kevin Frechette, Co-Founder and CEO of Fairmarkit. Sources: FT Resources This content is paid for by Liberty Blume and is produced in partnership with the Financial Times' Commercial Department. The views and claims…

Late-stage financing plays a critical role in the growth trajectory of technology scale-ups, particularly as they transition from early innovation phases to market dominance and potential exits via IPOs or acquisitions. Larger capital injections can be found from multiple avenues; VCs, private equity, corporate investors, family offices, sovereign wealth funds and growth-focused hedge funds. While the volume of capital to European growth stage companies since 2015 has tripled, there is still a funding gap and bottlenecks in Europe compared to the US. In this episode three experts discuss Europe's growth stage tech landscape, the funding available, challenges ahead and what is needed to build more billion dollar companies in Europe. They are Luca Ferrari, Co-Founder & CEO of Bending Spoons, Hilary Gosher, Managing Director at Insight Partners and Tommaso Fassati, Head of Wealth Management Italy at BNP Paribas. Sources: FT Resources, Atomico, Roland Berger, Anthropic, European Commission, Semiconductor…

Across October 2025, 315,000 private flights departed worldwide, a 5% increase on 2024. While this is less than 1% of monthly commercial flights globally, private jet travel is still on the rise. The Covid-19 pandemic saw an increase in private travel for health reasons and with hybrid working now popular, private business travel is gaining momentum. But there are many areas the industry needs to focus on over the next five years to maintain growth. In this episode we look at the future of private aviation, exploring the trends, sustainability challenges and the technologies that could power flight in the future. I speak with Adel Mardini, CEO of Jetex a private aviation company based in Dubai with fixed-base operators and ground handling stations in over 50 locations worldwide. Alongside Adel is JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, a global leader in electric powered flight. Sources: FT Resources, Forbes, FlyAPG, Lifestyledaily.com, Nature.com, US Environment Protection Agency, UK Government,…

At the start of 2025 there was optimism that the global M&A market would strengthen with the expectation that inflation and interest rates would fall and a more favourable regulatory environment would exist. Yet it was a slow start amid uncertainty. The unpredictability of US trade policy under the Trump administration saw the global Economic Policy Uncertainty Index rise to a 30 year record high in early 2025, decreasing the appetite for deals. But M&A still remains a critical part of a companies growth strategy. So where will the M&A market be at the end of this year and over the next five years? And how can business leaders manage a successful M&A in today's climate and tomorrow's world? Here to discuss this further are Brian Salsberg, Snr Managing Director & Global Head of M&A at FTI Consulting and Massimo Battaini, CEO of Prysmian. Sources: FT Resources, Morrison Foerster, St.Louis Fed, McKinsey, World Uncertainty Index, JP Morgan This content is paid for by Prysmian and is produced in partnership with…

Capital flows to the entire energy sector are set to hit $3.3tn in 2025. $2.2tn of which will find its way to renewables, nuclear, grids, storage, low-emissions fuels, efficiency and electrification. That sum is nearly twice as much as the $1.1tn going to fossil fuels this year. The transition opens up new avenues for investment, innovation, and competitiveness. But given the recent geopolitical, economic and trade climate how much will this affect future investments and value creation across the whole energy sector? Joining us today are three experts ready to discuss value creation in the energy transition, where the money is going and where it’s to be made now and in the future. They are Lars Eirik Nicolaisen, Deputy CEO of Rystad Energy, Seb Henbest, Group Head of Climate Transition at HSBC and Christian Egenhofer, Associate Senior Research Fellow at the Energy, Resources and Climate Change Unit at CEPS (Centre for European Policy Studies). Sources: FT Resources, IEA, beyondfossilfuels.org,…

Modern finance leaders have had to navigate turbulent waters over the last five to 10 years, buffeted by waves of geopolitical and macro market forces, rising economic nationalism, trade protectionism and environmental instability. Add that to the unprecedented pace of technological change, shifting consumer behaviours and a reimagined workforce. Here to give us insight on how CFOs are dealing with today's tough climate while preparing for the future is Kwee Juan Han, Group Executive and Group Head of Institutional Banking at DBS, Marie Myers, CFO at Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Andre Khor, Group CFO & Deputy CEO at Aster, part of the Chandra Asri Group. Sources: FT Resources, Deloitte, Forbes, Protiviti This content is paid for by DBS and is produced in partnership with the Financial Times' Commercial Department. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It is no surprise that for decades the US has reigned supreme when it comes to early stage tech dealmaking. Its risk appetite, coast to coast funding options, integrated market and policy support has created a perfect environment for would-be entrepreneurs to find funding and grow their companies into global tech titans. But, there is no shortage of investable tech firms in the EU. From 2019-2024 the continent generated more high tech startups than the US every year, yet the US had four times more deal value in 2024, $209bn to Europe’s $62bn. Europe can create its own tech giants but to do so it needs to rebalance its venture funding environment to support the next generation of startups. Marie Gwenhaelle Geffroy, Head of Growth Capital & Solutions, Corporate and Institutional Banking at BNP Paribas discusses the strengths of Europe's tech industry and the role that banks play in funding the next generation of talent in Europe. Ben Blume, Partner at Atomico, highlights where European Venture funding is…

The term polycrisis has been gaining traction in recent times as the world faces one disaster after another that are all interlinked. The far-reaching implications of a world at risk means boardrooms must remain agile to navigate their businesses past the rocks and into calmer seas. In a break away from our normal format, we've created our own boardroom. Sat around our virtual table today are three experts ready to discuss what risks are out there, how boards are dealing with them and what the boardroom dynamic needs to be to navigate a fast evolving and uncertain future. They are Sean McGovern, UK & Lloyd’s CEO at AXA XL, Pam Joshi, Global Head of Insurance and Risk Management at Takeda Pharmaceuticals and Sarah Isted, UK Risk Leader at PwC UK. Sources: FT Resources, IRM, GARP, ICAEW This content is paid for by AXA XL and is produced in partnership with the Financial Times' Commercial Department. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's digital world, artificial intelligence, data storage and cybersecurity are a critical triumvirate, intersecting to form a dynamic ecosystem that underpins modern technological infrastructure. They are strategic pillars that drive innovation, operational efficiency and risk management. Thus their interaction and integration is key to building resilient and secure digital systems capable of supporting the demands of our digitally dependent future. In this episode Charlie Giancarlo, CEO, Pure Storage discusses how important it is for an organisation where your data is, and how to correctly, safely and securely store it ready for our AI future. Nicole Carignan, SVP of Security and AI Strategy at Darktrace and Anthony Ferrante, Global Head of Cybersecurity at FTI Consulting, further extol why data is the backbone of AI, the importance of securing your data, as well as the vulnerabilites organisations face in a modern digitial world. Sources: FT Resources, WEF, PWC, Allianz, National Cyber Security…

Biotechnology is the use of biology in the production of new products, services, and organisms with the aim of improving human health and society. In 2024, the global biotech market was worth $1.68 trillion. By application, the health segment was responsible for just over half of that figure. Not surprising when you think that healthcare focused biotech companies are battling to solve some of our biggest health concerns; turning an ageing society into a longevity society by supporting longer and healthier lives. In this episode of The Next Five, Paul Little, CEO of Vesper Bio discusses frontotemporal dementia and the impact of it on human health and society, the biotech solutions being sort to combat the disease as well as what he describes as a Malthusian crisis around biotech funding. Dr Ann Beliën, Founder and CEO of Rejuvenate Biomed addresses the problems of Sarcopenia as well as the biotech solutions for it and how Biotech companies use creative ways to secure funding. Gianmario Verona, President of…

Despite an interconnected and increasingly digitalised world, a historical black cloud has been hanging over an area of finance relied upon by institutions, retail and a billion people associated with migrant work: Cross-border payments. Domestic money transfer has seen a dramatic overhaul due to the digital revolution of recent years. But sending money internationally is a whole different ball game. Each country operates their own payment systems at varying levels of technological maturity and regulation. Due to this, historically, sending money has been both time consuming and costly, whether that is B2B, B2C or C2C. There has been improvements over the last few years, yet the industry still has some work to do. In this episode of The Next Five, Pratik Khowala, Global Head of Transfer Solutions at Mastercard discusses how scale and collaboration can solve some of the key challenges. Emanuela Saccarola, Head of Cross-Border Payments at Citi delves into the B2B landscape, echoes the need for industry…

In today’s competitive global landscape the responsibilities of CFOs are diversifying more than ever. The fast paced digital revolution, geopolitical uncertainty, economic volatility and the environmental impact of climate change means the modern CFO must adapt to future proof the financial health of their organisations. The need to remain agile and requires fleet of foot finance leaders. In the modern world, technology is helping CFOs to gain visibility over their business functions and react to an ever evolving global landscape. In this Episode of The Next Five, Anna Manz, CFO of Nestlé explains the need to keep pace with consumer change, how technology can help with forecasting, but that a team's ability to adpat to change is vital. Chris Thorn, UK CFO at Suez discusses the unique pressures and opportunities of private and public partnerships, how to react and work with regulation and legislation changes and the role tech also plays for CFOs. Salvatore Lombardo, CPTO at Coupa explains how technologies…

The world is grappling with the need to hit the global Net Zero by 2050 target which means the net amount of greenhouse gases emitted into, and removed from, the atmosphere is zero by that date. All the while providing safe, secure and affordable energy for citizens. A tug of war between outcomes is afoot, where difficult decisions and trade-offs will need to be made by governments, energy majors and consumers. Energy security is key for economic resilience. Progress made in the last few decades in the UK and Euro area was buffeted by the Russia Ukraine war. Geopolitical events, such as mounting international tensions in the Middle East, could create further energy shocks. However, according to the European Security Mechanism, to enhance resilience to energy supply shocks, the EU needs to increase the use of domestically produced renewable energy. In this episode of The Next Five Torgrim Reitan, CFO and EVP at Equinor discussses the need for a balance between transitioning to renewables and offering stable…

We live in a world of tremendous uncertainty where businesses are increasingly challenged to adapt to a rapidly evolving risk landscape. Economic instability, rising geopolitical tensions, technological disruption, cyber threats and the energy transition, are just some of the concerns for boards and businesses globally. Companies need to prepare for risk and maintain resilience. In this episode of The Next Five, Vince Tizzio, President and CEO of AXIS highlights the important role that the insurance industry plays in managing risk, and the need for specialisation and collaboration within industries. John Doyle, CEO of Marsh McLennan, discusses the increasing climate related risk landscape and how technology is being used to help map global risk, as well as the risk reward balance of technologies such as AI. Mark Erickson, Global Head of the Financial Institutions Group at BlackRock offers insight into Blackrock's recent report on the insurance industry's views on climate and AI risk and opportunity. Sources:…

If money makes the world go round, then data tells you how fast it’s spinning and when it might stop. 90% of all data was generated in the last 2 years and every 2 years the volume of data doubles. With 11 billion devices connected to the internet today, the annual global data generation in 2025 is expected to be 181 zettabytes, that’s 181 trillion gigabytes. To put it in context, we use about 3 gigabytes to stream netflix in high definition for an hour. In other words, the modern world can’t live without data. To continue to understand the world, especially as we move ever more into the digital age of AI, we must better understand the data we are creating. And this means in every part of life, including in business. Alexander Igelsböck, Co-Founder and CEO of Adverity joins us to show how data can unlock business opportunities and create a competitive advantage. Florian Jacquier, Global Head of Data Consumer Engagement at Nestlé, discusses the importance for large global companies to see, understand and…

The premium alcohol industry is about more than just indulgence. It’s a category that is garnering greater attention from consumers, investors and collectors. Increased disposable incomes, celebrity culture and social media has created new avenues for brand recognition and sales. Partnerships with other luxury brands also bring cross pollination appeal and is an area top spirit brands are looking to take more advantage of. Investing in premium alcohol is also an area of growth. Brand, age and rarity set the standard for big prices. The whisky category has seen records consistently broken in the last few years as wealthy individuals battle for the best bottles. In November 2023, a single bottle of The Macallan 1926 Valerio Adami, one of only 40 bottles originally released, sold for a new record price of £2.18 million at Sotheby's in London. But there are some headwinds in both the primary and secondary markets that brands and consumers need to weather. In this episode of The Next Five we speak with Duncan…

Individual creativity and idea construction sets us apart within our own societies, it is a deeply desirable trait, and can give you power and wealth. ‘Gosh, what a great idea!’, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ are often thought and heard. Cue Artificial intelligence, AI can enhance and enable our creativity- giving thousands of creative solutions to our input ideas. Less a brainstorm and more a cosmic tsunami of creation, all in a matter of seconds. It does this without its own personal agenda and selfish desire to have the idea that brings with it the potential for expression, power and wealth. But is it creative? Or, like in many industry applications, is AI a tool that makes us more creative. In this episode of The Next Five, we hear from Doug Eck, Senior Research Director at the Google DeepMind working on generative media, who discusses how we amplify our own human ideas with technology and that AI brings an inflection point where new art forms could develop with its help. Youtube content creator Dani…

"Prevention is better than cure” is a fundamental principle of modern healthcare. In this episode of the Next Five, in paid partnership with GSK, we look at health care prevention in ageing societies, with a particular focus on vaccine uptake. Ever since 1796, when Dr. Edward Jenner inoculated an 8-year-old boy against smallpox with a vaccine containing the milder strain cowpox, vaccination has become a part of the preventative medicine armoury. Vaccines have lowered the impact of many diseases, and benefits go beyond the health of the individual by reducing the cost and burden placed on healthcare systems and society. The COVID-19 pandemic placed a fresh spotlight on vaccines, highlighting the need but also, in some instances, the ambivalence towards them. By 2030, the number of people aged 60 and over will have increased by more than a third to 1.4 billion people. Even with the lessons learnt from the pandemic, low adult immunisation uptake remains a global problem that needs urgent solutions. In this…

After slumping during the pandemic, business travel is picking up pace: it’s expected to hit pre-pandemic levels this year with spending on it slated to reach $1.4tn in 2024. But post-Covid, the landscape of corporate travel is changing, reflecting the evolving global economy, a diverse workforce and the growing importance attached to sustainability. The cost of travel is rising and businesses seeking to balance budgets need to find flexible tools for managing business travel and the variables and unexpected events, such as flight delays, that come with it. New innovations are becoming even more influential in the decision-making processes, such as what form of meeting or collaboration justifies the need to travel in the post-pandemic era. The whole sector is ripe for innovation and new technologies such as AI present a timely opportunity for companies to rethink their approach to business travel. Tim Lebel, Vice President and Head of Product for SAP Concur Spend Solutions joins me to discuss how AI is…

Cybersecurity has never been more important; Everything is now connected to a network, and rapid technological advancements are being met with new and novel cyber threats, however cutting-edge advancements in AI within cybersecurity are rising to meet them, empowering individuals, businesses, and governments to build a safer, more secure online future. In this podcast, we examine the importance of collaboration between public and private players to safeguard society, critical infrastructure and valuable assets against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. In the fourth episode of this five-part miniseries, we look at AI's role within cybersecurity. By making cybersecurity accessible to more people, can AI increase the protections for European organisations and businesses of all sizes or will the ability to process large amounts of data enable attacks on businesses? In this episode we speak with Philippe Humeau, CEO of CrowdSec, a French threat intelligence company that offers participative behavioural…

The EU must prioritise digital skills development, bridge the existing skills gap, and foster an innovation-driven environment. By embracing AI and equipping its citizens with the necessary skills, the EU can navigate current challenges and secure its position as a global leader in the digital era. In the third episode of this five-part miniseries, we look at AI's role in workplace and productivity. In this episode we speak with Andrea Renda, Head of Global Governance, Regulation, Innovation and the Digital Economy at The Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), a think tank based in Brussels that undertakes research “leading to solutions to the challenges facing Europe today". Anna Anderson, CEO and Co-Founder of RigaTech Girls, an NGO which is the only organisation in Latvia specifically dedicated to the cause of advancing women in technology. Inger Paus, Public Affairs Director at Google Europe further discusses the impact of AI on the economy and productivity within the workforce over the next five…

We are in the sixth mass extinction phase and it’s primarily driven by human activity. Globally, 1.2 million species are at risk of extinction and around 70% of the planet's ice-free land has already been altered, primarily for agricultural use. In the second episode of this five-part miniseries, we look at AI's role in sustainability and how it can help us better understand the natural world. In Europe, unsustainable farming and forestry, urban sprawl and pollution are predominantly to blame for a drastic decline in biodiversity. This latest era of extinction in the natural world also comes at a time when we are making giant leaps in an artificial realm and while AI is no silver bullet it could help us better understand how to sustainably reinvent our agriculture, farming and food systems. Protecting species is also of the utmost importance. Insects, for example, are an important piece in the biodiversity puzzle and are under threat. But AI can help us understand our insect friends and the environment they…

The advent and speed of advancement in AI has far reaching consequences for multiple industries. This five-part miniseries will spotlight various industry sectors where AI has a significant and growing impact, with this particular episode centering on AI's role in healthcare. AI in healthcare offers life changing benefits as well as raising far reaching concerns. In the medical arena, various AI programmes like Large Language Models and Foundation Models are being used in many specialities, both in research and clinically. AI’s ability to rapidly process vast amounts of data and identify subtle patterns affords unrivalled potential within medicine. It can also help save money by streamlining processes. But there are risks. As the technology advances so do concerns over inaccurate diagnoses that could exacerbate health inequalities that already exist in the system. Another area of particular focus is the transparency and trust of the AI models being built. This is where the importance of regulation comes in.…

Oceans cover 71% of the planet’s surface and are a life support system making up 97% of the world’s water and 95% of all space made available for life. Oceans are a key climate regulator, sequestering a third of all carbon emitted by human activity a year, controlling the weather and mediating temperature. With this alone, their importance to our existence is paramount. But oceans also support an entire economy, a ‘blue economy’. Alas, rising sea levels and temperatures due to climate change, overfishing, man made pollution and other mismanagement is affecting the blue economy and those that rely on it. Furthermore, oceans can provide us with a revolution in power generation. They offer a natural and low carbon alternative to fossil fuels and are the world’s largest untapped source of renewable energy. In this episode of the Next Five we explore the oceans as a blue economy, a climate regulator, and a power generator all while reflecting on the importance of ocean preservation. Céline Cousteau, a documentary…

Ever since the emergence of sundials and water clocks in Egypt around 1500 BC, humans have been fascinated by timepieces. Over the centuries, portable clocks, pocket watches and wristwatches gave people the chance to carry time around with them. Many of these became status symbols – the luxury of portable time afforded to only the few. And now, with the advent of wearable tech over the past decade, what is on our wrist has come to tell us much more than simply the time. Whether it's Swiss watches or wearable tech, the status of watches is evolving. In our productivity-obsessed world, our lives are driven by accurate timekeeping – and now we have multiple devices, reminders and calendars to keep us on track. So how is our relationship with time evolving now that it is commoditised, and what role will watches play in a digitally dominated future? In this episode of The Next Five podcast we explore the future of watches, timekeeping in a digital world, and the psychology behind our fascination with time.…

EVs are already displacing 1.5million barrels of oil usage per day or 3% of total road fuel demand, however emissions from vehicles are still responsible for between 12-16% of global emissions. But now imagine a world where there are no ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) cars on the road. That’s the future that is needed if we are to hit net zero targets. To realise this by mid century annual EV sales must hit 138 million units by 2040. In this episode of The Next Five podcast we take a deep-dive into the current landscape, tackle the future for EVs from industry leaders in the legacy and pure EV space, and highlight the opportunities and challenges along the way. Adrian Chai, Managing Director, Institutional Banking Group at DBS Bank discusses the gaps in finance in the EV value chain and where capital needs to flow to support the industry growth, as well as the future of the fast evolving battery market. Pras Ganesh, Executive Vice President & Corporate Information Security Officer at Toyota talks about the…

The payments industry is undergoing big changes that have a big impact on the global economy. Growth in digital payments over cash has been spurred on by the pandemic, a strong e-commerce market, government support and investor sentiment. In this episode of The Next Five, we explore the future of online retail and payments in a digital world, how consumers are paying for products and services and how businesses are navigating the payments space to build resilience, retain and gain customers. Marc Pettican, Head of Barclaycard Payments joins us to talk about combating fraud, dealing with cart abandonment and a future where biometric linked payments take centre stage. Avritti Khandurie Mittal, VP and General Manager of Payments at eBay, shares how seamless payment practices and data can help build business resilience and that embedded payments is turning every business into a fintech. Alla Gancz, Partner and UK Payments Leader at EY, offers her expertise on key forces shaping the future of payments including…

Allowing capital flows consistent with a net zero and resilient global economy will require a transformation of the financial system. Since 2016, investments in decarbonisation have been growing at a rate of 5% per annum. At this rate, the 2050 net zero targets will be missed by 20 years. In this episode of The Next Five, we’re talking about financing the transition to net zero, how capital can be moved towards clean energy, and how industry and government need to collaborate for the world to hit climate goals. Tim Gould, Chief Energy Economist at the International Energy Agency explains where capital is flowing into the global energy market and how much needs to be going into clean energy transition investments to hit climate goals. Eirik Waerness, Senior Vice President, Chief Economist and Head of Global External Analysis at Equinor talks about the need for collaboration between industries and governments and offers a global solution to the carbon pricing debate. Nick Stansbury, Head of Climate Solutions…

Advancements in technology to date and the pace of change in the future is far beyond the evolutionary speed of human development. We are building smart cities, smart homes, smart offices but now we, the people, need to be smarter in using technology. How tech is built and how we use it as humans has never been more important. In this episode of The Next Five, we look at the relationship between technology and us, how our automated future and the interactions we have with tools, including AI, will shape humanity. Steve Wood, SVP of Product and Platform at Slack, joins us to show how we can empower people with tech. Nathalie Nahai, international speaker and best-selling author, discusses the need to foster better human connections and relationships with others during this fast paced technological future. Gerd Leonhard, futurist, humanist and CEO of the Futures Agency, extols the virtues of machines that remain competent and don't become conscious. Our sources for the show: FT Resources, CIPD, OECD, Oxford…

With the transcendence of digital money and technology, trade and trade finance is experiencing a major overhaul. A $5.2 trillion global trade finance ecosystem exists today, worth 6% of global GDP, so the sector's performance affects the health of the future world economy. In the latest episode of The Next Five, we look at how emerging technological developments across the financial system, such as tokenisation and the emergence of digital currencies are changing how the world trades. Karin Flinspach, Managing Director and Regional Head, Transaction Banking Europe & Americas at Standard Chartered Bank, joins us to offer insight into trade finance and the outlook for large organisations in a digital trade landscape. Tim Davis, Global & US Risk & Financial Advisory Blockchain & Digital Assets Leader at Deloitte & Touche LLP, digs deeper into the emergence of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and what they could mean for trade. Jason Thompson, CEO of Partior, a blockchain powered value exchange, gives…

The way we work has changed since the pandemic. The modern workforce now, more than ever before, enjoys flexibility in where and when they work. But businesses, leaders and employees are still experimenting with how best to work. In this epsiosde of The Next Five we explore the shifting sands of desk based work, looking at the effect of technology on traditional structures, employee productivity, communication and wellbeing, and ask how the technology led digital HQ might help solve some of the current challenges. Sheela Subramanian, Founder of Future Forum and VP at Slack, shows us how business leaders and companies can build a flexible, productive digital workforce that puts employees at the centre of the strategy. Dennis P. Stolle, JD, PhD and Senior Director of Applied Psychology, for the American Psychological Association offers insight into employee wellbeing and how a digital first approach to working can benefit a workforce and the role that technology plays. Vladimir Lukic, Managing Director &…

Global supply chains are near breaking point. The pandemic showed their weaknesses and geopolitical tensions, like Ukraine, have exacerbated the issue. And yet the biggest issue facing our world is climate change - and supply chains have a big part to play in the solution. But with complex global supply chains comes challenges - mainly maintaining net zero agendas across multiple partners. Arco Berkenbosch, VP Innovation and Development at Smurfit Kappa tells us how collaboration and experimentation are key to success and that sustainable packaging can make a big difference to our climate goals. Abe Eshkenazi, Chief Executive Officer, Association for Supply Chain Management also extols the virtues of technology to offer visibility across partners and calls for consumer demands to change to help make supply more sustainable. And finally, Stanton Thomas, Senior Vice President of Sustainability Solutions at o9 solutions, joins to show how AI and machine learning can help organisations track and test their…

The sportswear sector is expected to be worth half a trillion dollars in 2026, up from $366 million in 2021, showing that our appetite for its products is growing. Whether you gym, run, climb, hike, cycle, box, kick, power walk, power lift or simply relax in comfy sportswear, you might not be aware of what makes up your specialist attire, and where it goes after you've thrown it away. In this episode we explore the impact the clothing industry, and the sportswear sector specifically, is having on our planet and how we can make it more sustainable. Niels Altrogge, Head of Technology Innovation at sportswear brand, ON, inspires us with bold innovations, like shoes made from CO2, that can make products fit for a greener future. Jules Lennon, Fashion Programme Manager at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, joins us to offer her expertise on how we can stamp out our take, make, waste culture and switch to a circular economy before it's too late. Our sources for the show: FT Resources, McKinsey, United Nations,…

Warren Buffett famously heralded cybercrime as a bigger threat to humanity than nuclear weapons. Whether you agree or not, cybercrime is becoming the number one concern for companies worldwide. In a time of rapid digitalisation, spurred on by the global pandemic, we discuss how vulnerable organisations are to cyber attacks and how they can shore up their defences in the face of sluggish government legislation and ever-advancing cyber adversaries. Mitch Scherr, CEO of Assured Cyber Protection, shares his industry-insider perspective on the most common threats and impacts faced by business at large and gives context to what the next five years in a cyber future looks like. Alongside Mitch, Brian Holliday MD of Siemens Digital Industries UK & Ireland, shines light on the potential competitive advantage to be had in the cyber security environment and Stephen Phipson, CEO of Make UK, gives a call to arms for awareness amongst the manufacturing sector as both technology and human factors play their part amid rapid…

Future energy technologies like fusion and hydrogen promise to be ‘game changers’ that could power our world and fuel our future. Both solutions have been talked about for decades yet remain just out of our grasp - but for how long? Current renewables like wind and solar can’t get us all the way to net zero while decarbonising carbon heavy sectors. Therefore, inventing, innovating and investing in future low carbon energy solutions such as fusion and hydrogen is key to success. But getting new technologies to commercial scale in time will require rapid collaboration on a global scale. So, what does the future of energy look like and what will the next five years hold? Here to help navigate the topic are a series of industry experts. Bob Mumgaard, CEO of Commonwealth Fusion Systems joins to extol the exciting potential of fusion energy, and what the technology means for the future of human development. Founding partner of AP Ventures, Kevin Eggers explains how to unlock the hydrogen economy and Lisa Rebora,…

Artificial Intelligence used to be the stuff of fantasy movies and comics. Now it’s a part of every industry and everyday life. Our use of it is only going to increase in the future as AI becomes more and more intertwined with our day-to-day activities and industries recognise it's boundless potential. However, so far the finance sector has lagged in terms of uptake compared to other industries. Harish Sundaresh joins to discuss the adoption of AI in the finance sector, drawing on comparisons with the healthcare and transport sectors to argue for its benefits while warning of its pitfalls. Harish is leading the development and management of quantitative trading strategies in the multi-asset space at Loomis Sayles and Director of the firm's Factor-Based Investment Group. He also holds an MSc in applied mathematics (computational engineering) from MIT. Our sources for the show: FT resources, BBC, Reuters, Forbes, IDC, Electronic Design, CAR Magazine. This content is paid for by advertisers and is produced in…

A decade ago, ESG was a term deployed as social lip service; now, it’s part of daily boardroom discussions, and top of the agenda for G7 leaders, financial institutions and businesses. The Paris Agreement propelled the conversation to the forefront of everyone’s minds, and today ESG credentials are key to securing anything from bank loans to equity investment. While progress has been made, the sector is still in its infancy and, with new regulation coming in seemingly every month, with its concomitant challenges, there’s still plenty of work to be done. However, get it right and the future should still look bright. To help us navigate the subject, Amanda Young, Global Head of Responsible Investment at abrdn joins us on the show. Amanda is a board director for Social Investment Scotland’s SIS Ventures fund. She served on the board of the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association for six years, and now chairs the FTSE Russell ESG Advisory Committee. Our sources for the show: FT resources, United…