Future of Living: how innovation and sustainability help us meet the challenges of the present and build a better future

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It’s undeniable: in the last few years, our daily routines were significantly disrupted by unpredictable events such as covid-19 health emergency, international conflicts, and the energy crisis.  Our conception of the “new normal” has changed: our day-to-day life has become increasingly digital and sustainable, and marked by constant technological progress. Along with our habits, we have also changed our relationship with innovation, which is now seen by most as a key enabler of a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle.

This is one of the insights revealed by Deloitte's recent survey, "Future of Living - Innovation and Human Sustainability." The research aims to investigate the sentiment and the relationship of citizens with innovation and sustainability in seven areas of their day-to-day living: Environment and Energy, Entertainment and Leisure, Mobility, Health, Safety and Security, Shopping and Delivery, and Labor and Education.

The evidence from the 'Future of Living’ survey reveals deep social and economic change, which is pivoted on the trust that citizens reserve towards innovation: in fact, 80 percent of interviewees thinks that innovation will help improve their quality of life.

A new awareness is rising among citizens and consumers, stimulating the generation of innovative and sustainable commercial solutions, which have the potential of improving living standards for all. Indeed, businesses, facilitated by institutions, are called upon to undertake a revolutionary rethinking of their business models, in order to effectively and efficiently tackle social issues and sustainability standards through innovation. For this reason, too, it is critical that leaders and companies place environmental and human sustainability at the core of change, while thinking of innovation as the north star guiding that change. Achieving the sustainable society we desire requires a reconfiguration of the current industrial paradigm, in line with the expectations of the citizens and the insights gathered by the ‘Future of Living’ research.

Achieving our collective goals of positive social impact and environmental sustainability represents a major challenge for businesses and individual. However, it is a challenge that will bring a new model of living for all: a Future of Living that is more digital, interconnected, equitable, and green, and in which we will increasingly rely on innovation as the enabling factor for a more sustainable and higher quality lifestyle.