Foresight finds professions of the future
The word “foresight” means “a look into the future”. Today foresight is the most effective method used to form strategic priorities in economics, science, technology, and society. This vision of the future is reflected in various documents, which become the basis for formulation of long-term programs and development strategies of countries.
Typically, every foresight project uses a combination of various scientific research methods, including expert panels, Delphi (expert polls in two stages), SWOT analysis, brainstorming, building scenarios of the future, technological roadmaps, relevance trees, analysis of mutual influence, etc.
The foresight method was used in the preparation of the Atlas of New Professions 2.0 project, which was attended by about four thousand experts from around the world.
When compiling the atlas, the task was not to predict exactly what was going to happen. For example, in the first version of the atlas, it was assumed that companies would have the profession of an intercultural communication manager, who would be present at the signing of international agreements to advise on the cultural characteristics of the participants (like, what color of suit not to wear and on what day of the week not to negotiate). It turned out that such a profession did not emerge within the companies themselves, but independent firms or consultants on this subject arose instead.
The main task of Atlas is not to describe the future profession in details, but to envision what the world will be like in ten years, what will have to be done in it and what to do now in order to be prepared for that.
In this article, we will take a look at several trends and professions of the future from the Atlas of New Professions 2.0.
Power grids and energy management
Power grids will become smart, allowing to accurately determine the level of energy consumption of a home or an office and configure the optimal operating modes of equipment. Also, power grids will be able to quickly respond to issues and recover on their own in the event of a breakdown.
If the user owns a microgenerator, they will be able to sell surplus electricity. Another trend is the development of distributed energy, which will help prevent such a scenario when an accident in one section of the network leads to global outages.
Professions:
· Electric vehicle charging station operator is a specialist who maintains infrastructure for electric vehicles charging, for example, cargo UAVs;
· System engineer for smart power grids is a specialist in the design of smart and microgeneration systems for a particular task;
· Energy auditor is a specialist who checks buildings for energy losses and makes recommendations for improving energy consumption.
Metallurgy
In metallurgy, trends are shifting towards more environmentally friendly production and improving the quality of manufacturing processes.
Mobile enterprises producing specialized metal are expected to emerge. They can be quickly deployed in places with high demand for metal, for example, at large construction sites.
The demand for traditional products of the industry will decrease, such as: black rolled products, pipes, ingots, slabs. However, the demand for new materials: plastics and composite materials, carbon fiber, metal composites, cermets, etc. will increase steadily.
The biometallurgy sector is expected to grow. Biometallurgy is the extraction of metals from “poor” ores with the help of microorganisms, significantly reducing production costs.
Professions:
· Advanced metals engineer is a specialist in developing alloys with predetermined properties or properties that vary according to operating conditions;
· Ecorecycler in metallurgy is a professional in recycling metallurgical waste and environmental restoration.
Light industry
In the light industry sector, more expensive fabrics from natural raw materials (flax, cotton, viscose and others) are being replaced with new synthetic materials. In addition, there is a growing demand for high-tech smart fabrics: self-cleaning, luminous, or capable of storing solar energy.
There is a growing trend to personalize clothing with customization options. The user will be able to choose the color and finish of jeans or have a custom-made shirt sewn for them in an automated atelier. Fashionistas will demand up-to-date 3D drawings of clothes and shoes that can be adjusted to their size in a virtual fitting room. The clothes of the future will be comfortable, environmentally friendly and made of the healthiest material: warming, breathable, disinfecting, with built-in energy storage, etc. Also, the material will be environmentally friendly, for example, biodegradable.
Professions:
· Clothes 3D model programmer is a specialist who translates design sketches of clothes into instructions for robots or a 3D printer. In the future, the user can use the instructions to create clothes in automated ateliers;
· Healthy clothes expert monitors clothing production in terms of its safety and health benefits (insulation, ventilation, etc.), and develops clothing with medicinal properties — for example, fabrics with built-in disinfectant;
· Advanced fabrics designer is a specialist who designs synthetic materials with specified properties, for example, LED fabrics or fabrics with shape memory;
· Techno stylist is a specialist who adds wearable gadgets to clothing, both for purely decorative purposes and for solving specific tasks.
Security
In terms of security, people will rely less on human workforce, opting for control systems and automatic controls instead. Various devices that ensure personal safety will become popular.
Pervasive automation and robotization can pose serious threats if a program crashes and decides to act on its own. Therefore, in the future, security systems will include protection against malfunctioning of artificial intelligence and alternative rescue plans in case computers cannot be used.
Professions:
· Business continuity manager is a specialist who ensures the continuity of business processes in the event of problems or outages of enterprise IT systems due to cyber-attacks;
· Remote security coordinator is an operator of automated and robotic security systems, monitoring their condition through sensors and surveillance cameras. This profession is the evolution of the security guard job and in the future will gradually be replaced by fully automated security systems.
New materials and nanotechnology
A real revolution in materials science was made by the proliferation of composites and complex heterogeneous materials that have enhanced strength, lightness, and ductility. In the future, composite structures can be stuffed with smart components — chips and controllers — which will allow you to change the properties of rooms and equipment at your own discretion. An active work environment and living spaces will emerge, which will be changed by intelligent systems depending on the necessary tasks or mood.
The development of 3D printing will usher in a new era in manufacturing: the final products can now be created not at special enterprises, but at home — which means that every consumer can become a manufacturer.
Professions:
· Nanomaterial designer is a professional who simulates properties, predicts the life cycle of nanotechnology materials using digital models;
· Safety engineer in the nano industry is responsible for the safety of workers, product end-users and the environment. Develops software to eliminate the negative consequences of manufacturing or use of nanoproducts.
Space industry
Space exploration will become more accessible, the popularity of space tourism will create a sector within the industry. In outer space, it will be possible to dispose of toxic waste, produce high-quality crystals in zero gravity, and to extract minerals on the Moon and asteroids in the future.
Professions:
· Space road engineer is a specialist who maintains the near-Earth transport network and is responsible for flights to orbit or transcontinental flights on ballistic trajectories;
· Space geologist is a specialist who is engaged in exploration and production of minerals on the Moon and asteroids.
IT sector
Telecommunication solutions provide connection between different parts of the world. Therefore, the volume of data passing through the worldwide network will increase and new solutions for information processing will develop. The number of personal communication devices will increase. In 10 years, any city dweller will have at least 5–6 worn devices, interconnected by a network, for example, augmented reality glasses, a biometric health bracelet and a smartphone with smart wallet function. The need for security systems, filtering methods and data protection will increase.
The digital divide between people will create a new kind of social stratification. Therefore, special software for mass education via the Internet will appear. Cyberspace legislation will emerge everywhere. E-governments will start working in full force and will become much more interactive.
Professions:
· Neural interface designer is a specialist who develops interfaces compatible with the human nervous system for controlling computers and robots, both home and industrial ones;
· Information security supervisor is a specialist who ensures the safety, protection and sustainable operation of production management systems and information processing;
· Cyber detective is a specialist in cybercrime investigations;
· IT preacher is a specialist who teaches people to use new software and services to narrow the digital divide among the public.
Robotics and mechanical engineering
The number of home robots is constantly growing, and robots are expected to become a familiar part of apartment interiors and urban spaces. Furniture and household appliances are also undergoing changes: in addition to the already popular robot vacuum cleaner, smart tables, mobile wardrobes, and robotic baby carriages will appear. It is very likely that the production of home robots will become one of the most rapidly growing sectors of the economy in the future.
In the industry, new-generation robotic systems are actively being introduced, which can flexibly adapt to the necessary tasks and learn along the way. Gradually, machine-building plants will act according to the principle: robots make robots.
Robots will play a very important role in medicine. Surgical machines will help to carry out complex operations, and cyber prostheses will allow people with disabilities to live full and fulfilling lives.
Professions:
· Industrial robot designer is a specialist who is engaged in the design of robotic manufacturing devices, logistics devices and robotic systems;
· Household robot designer is a specialist who develops and programs home robots, such as a robot nurse, a robot cleaner, a dog walking robot, and others;
· Multi-purpose robotic systems designer is a specialist in the management and maintenance of robotic systems when working with hard-to-reach or micro-objects.
There are even more professions of interest:
· Medical data manager creates and manages physiological databases, creates software for medical and diagnostic equipment;
· Bioethicist is a specialist who provides a regulatory and ethical framework for medical activities in which transplantation and genetic modeling are carried out;
· Molecular nutrition expert is a specialist in the development of individual diets based on data on the molecular composition of food, considering the results of a person’s genetic analysis and the characteristics of his physiological processes;
· Robotic prosthesis and implant designer will work on the development of functional artificial devices, cyber prostheses, and organs compatible with living tissues;
· Old-age health consultant is a specialist who develops optimal solutions to problems for an aging population;
· Online doctor is a medic who carries out diagnostics online, focusing on the preliminary diagnosis and prevention of diseases;
· Foreman watcher is a construction specialist who applies digital pattern recognition technology to assess construction progress;
· Airship designer is a specialist who develops airship models based on the tasks (cargo/passenger usage) and aeronautics conditions;
· Collective art supervisor is a specialist who sets up artistic teams for the implementation of a specific creative project;
· Creative state trainer is a mind fitness specialist who knows how to bring people of creative professions into the flow state and into other states characterized by increased creativity;
· Science artist is a person who uses scientific data and technologies, for example, Artificial Intelligence, in creative work;
· Game practitioner is a specialist in the development and organization of educational games (business, historical, fantastic, etc.) and support of games using simulators;
· Individual tour director is a professional tour guide capable of designing and personally delivering unique tours at the request of specific clients;
· Info stylist is a professional who selects information and the style of its presentation in accordance with the requests of a particular user;
· Media policeman is a law enforcer in the media sphere, who identifies violations of the law by monitoring media resources personally or using special software;
· Emotion designer is a specialist who creates the emotional background of content using new channels for delivering information, including directly to the brain of the consumer;
· Virtual world designer is a specialist in designing solutions that allow users to work, study and play in virtual reality;
· Agricultural informatics and engineering expert is a highly qualified specialist in the implementation of new technologies in agricultural enterprises;
· Social conflict mediator is a specialist who helps to peacefully resolve conflicts that arise between social groups on property, cultural, national, religious and other grounds.
