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Knowledge4Policy
Knowledge for policy

Competence Centre on Foresight

We foster a strategic, future-oriented and anticipatory culture in the EU policymaking process.

  • Page | Last updated: 29 Apr 2020

Socio-economic aspects

  • Evidence shows that, beyond a certain threshold, inequality harms growth and poverty reduction, the quality of relations in the public and political spheres and individuals’ sense of fulfilment and self-worth. | Related Megatrends: WorkEducation
  • Rising economic inequality as a major threat to social stability; the rise of social media has made it easier for people to organise protests, accelerate their speed and scale, shape the narrative of events and put pressure on the international community to act.
    | Related Megatrends TechnologyGovernanceSecurity
  • Income inequality cannot be effectively tackled unless the underlying inequality of opportunities is addressed.
    | Related Megatrends: WorkEducation
  • Automation and robotization are considerably increasing productivity. However, the related increased profit is not reflected in the income of the workers and even less so in the contributions that corporations make to society. Therefore, policies could align productivity increase with income, tax and social contributions of business, to address unemployment and re-skilling.
  • coherent strategy and policy approach could avoid potential disruptive structural changes and to assure that digitalization benefits the majority of the population, encourages further innovation and development, and that it helps address the global challenges.
  • With increasing demographic imbalances, retirement and fiscal policies could be reconsidered, as well as best way to use the growing wisdom and experience resources of the aging population.
    | Related Megatrends: Demography