The rules of the game for businesses are changing fundamentally. Organisations today operate in an environment where technological acceleration, geopolitical realignment and regulatory dynamics are increasingly interacting, forcing strategic decisions to be made under heightened uncertainty. Infrastructure decisions influence sovereignty, governance shapes architecture, and technology investments shift institutional power. What was long viewed in separate contexts is increasingly coming together within a shared strategic framework.
Strategic foresight as a key competence
These developments are fundamentally changing the demands placed on business decision-making. Strategic foresight is becoming one of the key management competencies. What matters is not only the early identification and analysis of trends, but also the ability to assess risks in an informed manner, manage uncertainties effectively and position companies to be resilient in the long term.
Expert discussion on forward-looking topics
Our English-language study, “A New Architecture of Intelligence – Technology, Infrastructure and Sovereignty to 2036”, is based on a structured dialogue with executives from globally active companies. The focus was on key technological developments and their impact on infrastructure, governance and sovereignty. More than 3,600 expert assessments of future developments, as well as around 2,800 arguments and contributions to the discussion, were gathered through a systematic, multi-stage Delphi survey process. The participating companies represent millions of employees, wield considerable economic influence and bring together cross-sector perspectives. This exchange takes account of increasing technological convergence and enables developments to be understood in terms of their interrelationships and strategically contextualised.
From analysis to direction: technology trends and potential development paths
The technology assessments analysed in this study provide a structured framework for systematically classifying key technological, institutional and economic developments and examining their potential manifestations. They cover topics such as infrastructure, governance, automation, sovereignty, ecosystem architecture, data orchestration and next-generation intelligent systems, and highlight the areas where consolidated perspectives are emerging or where uncertainties remain.
Placing these within strategic overviews of key turning points along a timeline provides additional guidance on potential development pathways.
Dealing with uncertainty strategically
The future cannot be predicted, but it can be explored in a structured way. What matters is the ability to contextualise different developments, consciously take uncertainties into account, and use this to inform sound decisions. Organisations that embed strategic foresight as part of their management approach strengthen their adaptability, can systematically anticipate risks in volatile environments, and seize valuable opportunities in a targeted manner.
Your contacts
Ashish Madan
Managing Partner, CTO, Head of Technology Services
KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft
Prof. Heiko von der Gracht
Professor, Technology Services Department
KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft