The Anthropocene: age of complexity, foresight and innovation?

Abstract

Purpose

Specific examples or brief case-histories in different fields or disciplines illustrate the inventive process from conception to realization.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors examine predictions made in 2007 by “China experts” about what the Chinese business environment would look like in 2017. Their predictions were accurate in respect of around two-thirds of the issues they were asked to consider. The authors focus on the one-third of issues about which they were wide of the mark and examine the likely reasons.

Findings

The newly named Anthropocene is a time of increasing conception, research, design, development, evaluation and exploitation of new artifacts and services. Objectivity: careful problem-analysis assures the authors’ understanding of innovating pathways.

Research limitations/implications

Trial-and-error methods may be disorderly, log-type research records are not kept, accidents not considered relevant.

Originality/value

Examples cited are transdisciplinary, often requiring inputs from other economic or cultural sectors. These complexities should be of incalculable value to innovators with single-field backgrounds.

Citation

Richardson, J.G. and Erdelen, W.R. (2018), "The Anthropocene: age of complexity, foresight and innovation?", Foresight, Vol. 20 No. 5, pp. 571-582. https://doi.org/10.1108/FS-09-2018-100