The Arctic has long been viewed as a future arena of geopolitical competition and conflict. Renewed remarks by U.S. President Donald J. Trump about taking control of Greenland – a semi-autonomous, Indigenous governed territory within the Danish Realm – have brought that future abruptly into the present. 

Given the unpredictability of the Trump Administration and its increasingly hostile tone towards Europe, a swift or stable settlement appears unlikely. To say that the stakes are high is an understatement. 

What is at risk is not only the lives and livelihoods of the Greenlandic people, but also the cohesion of the transatlantic
alliance and the credibility of a rules-based international order – long underwritten by the United States itself. In this context of profound uncertainty, it is necessary to consider how the dispute over Greenland’s future might unfold.

The Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies has therefore developed four scenarios outlining how the conflict over Greenland could end, and the geopolitical implications of each outcome. While scenarios typically have a medium- to longterm focus – looking at least five to ten years into the future to reduce the need to constantly revise analyses and narratives due to rapidly changing developments – the gravity of the situation at hand demand that these scenarios focus on the near term. 

Accordingly, they are written from the perspective of November 2026, shortly before the U.S. mid-term elections. The scenarios do not assign probabilities, nor do they advocate a preferred outcome. Rather, they offer snapshots of plausible near futures intended to illuminate the potential consequences of decisions that could be taken within days or weeks, and to support preparation for the wider political, economic and societal fallout they entail.

Technology Foresight of Politecnico di Milano has conducted foresight activities to explore potential opportunities and challenges, preparing for a technological paradigm shift in personal health. The aim was to identify the most disruptive technologies in the realm of personal health and assess their impact on shaping future scenarios. The time frame extends from the present to 2040.

Consult the original source here.

Methodology:

• Mapping the landscape: Desk Research on the Future of Health: Selection, from foresight studies and scientific publications, the 50 most recurrent technologies and innovations expected to be transformative.  
• Experts’ preliminary analysis: identification of 28 core technologies.
• Extended and in-depth analysis to identify the most promising 10 technologies, engaging Politecnico di Milano’s community and a group of physicians through a dedicated survey. 
• Impact and Relevance Assessment to shape the final outcome.

The top 10 technologies are:

• Applied Artificial Intelligence (Applied AI)
• Biomedical imaging techniques
• Biosensors
• Data Science
• Digital Twin/Modelling
• Drug Delivery Smart Systems
• Genetic Editing
• Implantable devices
• Neurotechnology
• Next Generation Vaccines
  

Each technology description includes: examples of potential fields of application, the phase(s) in which the technology is relevant (prediction/prevention/diagnosis/treatment/rehabilitation), opportunities, requirements, risks, impacts.

The report continues with a series of insights, derived from the analysis of alternative visions of the future associated with health, with both positive and negative elements, aiming at understanding the opportunities and challenges posed by each context and at identifying the conditions that will allow moving in the preferred direction, without neglecting risks and possible barriers.