In this series, leading executives and McKinsey experts conjure the future, one industry at a time.
Latest Edition
The future of hotels: Customized experiences, sustainable practices
When you walk into your hotel, the staff will greet you by name, know your travel preferences, and anticipate your needs. Almost every aspect of your stay will be personalized to your tastes, and you can reconfigure your room at any time to make it suitable for work, exercise, socializing, or sleep. For all leading hotel brands, the well-being of both guests and employees—and the health of the planet—will be top priorities. Welcome to the hospitality industry’s next normal.
MORE EDITIONS OF THE NEXT NORMAL
The future of biotech: AI-driven drug discovery
Many diseases today don’t have a cure. One reason is that drug discovery is difficult: finding and developing an effective medicine is a yearslong and very expensive process. But maybe it doesn’t have to be. Experts say AI—if properly integrated into scientists’ research—could revolutionize drug discovery, making it possible for more patients to get the treatments they need.
Could this be a glimpse into life in the 2030s?
We asked business leaders and McKinsey experts to envision the future of their respective industries. Explore this interactive for some of their more evocative (and provocative) predictions, from outer-space hotels and gamified movies to car subscriptions and ‘smart’ mannequins.
The future of video entertainment: Immersive, gamified, and diverse
You’re at the movies with friends—but the movie is more like a game with a narrative. You feel like you’re in the movie because your seat gets hot when there’s a fire on screen. And everyone can see and hear the movie in whatever language they choose. That scenario could represent the next normal in video entertainment, according to McKinsey experts and industry executives.
The future of space: It’s getting crowded out there
Could you soon be taking trips to outer space? Some experts think so. As rocket launches have gotten cheaper, thousands more satellites—and many more people than ever before—can venture into orbit. And it’s not just governments funding these missions; private companies are getting in on the action, too. But more objects in space also means more space debris and higher risks of collisions. In this edition of The Next Normal, McKinsey experts and industry executives envision the space industry’s next decade.
The future of air mobility: Electric aircraft and flying taxis
Look! Up in the sky! Not a bird … or a plane … it’s an eVTOL! An eVTOL (pronounced “ee-vee-tol”) is an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft—and thousands of them could be flying above cities by 2030. Hear McKinsey experts and industry pioneers describe what’s coming in the world of “advanced air mobility” (AAM) and how it could affect passengers, pilots, and our planet.