Platform economy in 2035: European Commission launches a foresight study on next-generation online platforms
PPMI has been awarded a research project ‘Participatory foresight on next generation online platforms’ for DG CNECT.
This two-year foresight exercise will explore next-generation online platforms and their role in shaping European society and economy. Online platforms play a key role in driving Europe’s digital transformation, offering many opportunities for their users and innovative solutions for citizens, the private and the public sectors. Yet, their rapid growth and increasing role pose a variety of challenges and uncertainties. The future evolution of platforms and their impact on social and economic spheres need to be better comprehended.
This study will contribute to enhancing the European Commission’s understanding of the potential challenges and opportunities associated with the ongoing platformisation trend. It will also contribute to strengthening the Commission’s capabilities in using participatory foresight techniques to inform policymaking in the future.
PPMI is part of a consortium undertaking this study together with VVA and TNO. To explore the potential evolution of the platform economy, the study will harness participatory foresight techniques. The study team will engage a variety of stakeholders in co-creation and co-assessment exercises to uncover different future scenarios and their impacts. During these participatory sessions, we will employ several foresight tools, including backcasting, visioning, roadmapping, trend and wildcard analysis, among others.
The project is divided into three foresight ‘seasons’, exploring 10 topics overall. The first three topics to be analysed are:
- future of the Internet in light of platformisation trends;
- metaverses, augmented reality and the future of social media;
- economic power concentration and B2B industrial supply chains.
