The Plurality University Network (U+), an international non-profit association, is dedicated to identifying, connecting, and uniting individuals and organizations to harness creativity and envisage alternative futures. The network facilitates the sharing of imaginative works and serves as a platform to exchange projects that leverage imagination to transform both the future and the present.
U+ is pioneering collaborative initiatives to showcase diverse narratives of the future from various perspectives. By amplifying these alternative visions, U+ aims to contribute to the emergence of fresh pathways for transformative change.
One such initiative is ‘The Emerging Enterprise’, which explores how corporations might evolve in a future affected by climate change, recurring crises, new technologies, and shifting social expectations. In a world where foresight publications are abundant with predictions on the future of work or specific industries, almost none speak about the future of corporations. ‘The Emerging Enterprise’ seeks to fill this gap.
From 2020 to 2022, a diverse group of individuals from over 40 corporations, trade unions, public agencies, and researchers imagined 12 fictional corporations of 2050. These 12 companies were created using traditional foresight tools combined with imagination and fiction to envisage a variety of future corporations. By participating in this project, 2050 was able to bring back from this journey into alternative futures many challenges, possible directions for actions, and issues that should be debated in our present.
The 2050 team and its ecosystem partners benefitted greatly from this venture. The working group sessions offered an excellent opportunity to delve into innovative foresight methods, design thinking, and creative imagination. They explored the potential risks and opportunities that future businesses may encounter, including climate change, recurring crises, new technologies, and evolving social expectations.
In addition to the 2050 team, the working group also included representatives from a portfolio company, and a significant investor in 2050. Their participation not only enriched the discussions but also strengthened the ecosystemic partnerships.
Through its work, U+ continues its mission to foster an environment where imagination is the catalyst for future transformative change, and where every individual and organization has the power to shape their own futures.
Discover the results of this project by downloading the 10 archetypes of corportaions of the future.
