The Next Five is the FT’s partner-supported podcast, exploring the future of industries through expert insights and thought-provoking discussions with host Tom Parker. Each episode brings together leading voices to analyse the trends, innovations, challenges and opportunities shaping the next five
Supply and demand. The foundational backbone of market economies. And we’re in the AI era, where demand and supply is being rewritten. Behind this AI revolution, sits a monumental physical buildout and energy demand. Globally, data centre power consumption will double by 2030 toward 945 terawatt-hours, consuming more power than the entire nation of Japan. In some regions the strain is already visible: data centres accounted for more than a fifth of Ireland's national electricity consumption in 2022 and predicted to reach nearly a third this year. Stateside, in 2023, when less powerful models…
It’s Q3 2026, the systems that form the global economy are currently being rewritten by the digitally led, fourth industrial revolution and the geopolitical repositioning of power. You’re an investment banker, a portfolio manager or a retail investor looking at trading screens flash red and green. There’s a hive of activity. But what to make of it.The indicators continue to flash, but the signals are conflicting. On one side sits the bull case: real AI driven corporate revenue, strong earnings, record stock prices and the unprecedented cash flow of the Hyperscalers. On the other side sits…
Sovereignty, by definition, is being updated. Sovereignty 2.0. Under geopolitical tensions, supply chain dependencies and competing regional regulations, the discussion around digital sovereignty is shaping where you're allowed to build, what models you’re allowed to train on, and who's allowed to see the results. Competing lines are being drawn. On one side there are those calling for the democratisation of AI and opening the global doors to innovation. On another is a fragmented map of regional regulations, like the strict mandates of the EU AI Act. Bubbling underneath is the geopolitical…
We’re at the start of Q3 2026. Every day that passes, individuals, managers, executives and boards are crunching their internal numbers. They’re working out if the millions of dollars spent on cutting edge agentic AI deployment over the previous 2 years is showing signs of meaningful ROI. If figures from the first half of 2025 were anything to go on, the juice was not worth the squeeze. MIT’s Gen AI Divide Report 2025 showed that ninety-five percent of generative AI projects in H1 last year failed to deliver demonstrable ROI. Ninety-five percent. But, what happened to that remaining five…
Thirty years ago, the role of the CFO was vastly different. While they still looked ahead to build budgets, they acted more like historians, studying the past performance to manage the books, taxes and audits, but largely kept out of board level email chains. Today, most CFOs at the top of their game barely recognise the environment they started their careers in. They are now less a historian and more a fortune teller, sitting firmly at the right hand of the CEO and guiding big strategic discussions . AI’s predictive modelling and big data crunching makes wearing the co-pilot hat for a CFO…
We are living in an era defined by a new kind of power shift. It’s not only measured in borders and markets but in Gigawatts and Gigaflops. Every line of code generated and every industrial process optimised by Artificial Intelligence is tethered to a physical reality: the Data Centre. These silent, humming monoliths have become the new cathedrals of the 21st century, and their appetite is unprecedented. How on earth are we going to be able to create and sustain the power demand of AI? But this isn't just a technical challenge; it’s a diplomatic powder keg. With the Strait of Hormuz slowly…
For the past few years, the corporate world has been boldly surfing the initial wave of AI excitement. Boardrooms worldwide have poured hundreds of billions of dollars into Artificial Intelligence, fueled by grand promises of economic revolution. We were told productivity would skyrocket, costs would vanish, and businesses would effortlessly scale. But as the fiscal years roll over, executives are searching for the next wave of provable returns and exploring what they will need to do to catch it and surf it to the beach of productivity gains. The challenge for this next generation of…
It’s 2026. You’re the CEO of a global bank or the Head of Surgery at a major hospital. An AI system looks at a complex set of volatile market data, or a patient’s decade-long medical history, and gives you a directive. It doesn’t just give you a percentage of probability. It tells you exactly what to do. But here is the catch: If that decision fails, "the machine told me so" won’t hold up in court, in the boardroom, or at a patient’s bedside. For a few years now, we’ve played a game of ‘black box’ roulette, using AI that predicts the future based on the past. But in a world of sudden market…
According to the World Economic Forum's Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 report, we've hit a historic tipping point. For the first time, CEOs now rank cyber-enabled fraud as their number one digital concern, officially overtaking ransomware. The threat is no longer about a hacker locking your files, it's about a machine mimicking your identity. But why does this matter? Well, because when trust collapses, the economy stops. If you can't verify who you're paying, you stop paying. If you can't verify who you're hiring, you stop growing. We are no longer just defending data. We are defending…
As the UN’s Secretary-General António Guterres said in July this year, “Now, we are on the cusp of a new era. Fossil fuels are running out of road. The sun is rising on a clean energy age.” Renewables and nuclear did reach an historic 40% share of global electricity generation in 2024, with renewables alone supplying roughly 32% of global power for the first time. But the length of this road and the speed we are travelling down it, will determine the success of the world’s energy transition. In this episode we explore where we are in the energy transition, the challenges, technologies and…
The fourth industrial revolution is upon us in every way. Technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, are growing up fast. So too must the humans that deploy and use it. Evolution is usually a slow process, yet businesses around the world must quickly reconfigure the way they work to gain the advantages that technology can afford. In this episode three experts join Tom to look at the human part of tech transformation, how we are adapting to work alongside tech such as AI, and how organisations are transforming their business operations to best adapt to the current and future needs of a…
Late-stage financing plays a critical role in the growth trajectory of technology scale-ups, particularly as they transition from early innovation phases to market dominance and potential exits via IPOs or acquisitions. Larger capital injections can be found from multiple avenues; VCs, private equity, corporate investors, family offices, sovereign wealth funds and growth-focused hedge funds. While the volume of capital to European growth stage companies since 2015 has tripled, there is still a funding gap and bottlenecks in Europe compared to the US. In this episode three experts discuss…
Across October 2025, 315,000 private flights departed worldwide, a 5% increase on 2024. While this is less than 1% of monthly commercial flights globally, private jet travel is still on the rise. The Covid-19 pandemic saw an increase in private travel for health reasons and with hybrid working now popular, private business travel is gaining momentum. But there are many areas the industry needs to focus on over the next five years to maintain growth. In this episode we look at the future of private aviation, exploring the trends, sustainability challenges and the technologies that could power…
At the start of 2025 there was optimism that the global M&A market would strengthen with the expectation that inflation and interest rates would fall and a more favourable regulatory environment would exist. Yet it was a slow start amid uncertainty. The unpredictability of US trade policy under the Trump administration saw the global Economic Policy Uncertainty Index rise to a 30 year record high in early 2025, decreasing the appetite for deals. But M&A still remains a critical part of a companies growth strategy. So where will the M&A market be at the end of this year and over the next five…
Capital flows to the entire energy sector are set to hit $3.3tn in 2025. $2.2tn of which will find its way to renewables, nuclear, grids, storage, low-emissions fuels, efficiency and electrification. That sum is nearly twice as much as the $1.1tn going to fossil fuels this year. The transition opens up new avenues for investment, innovation, and competitiveness. But given the recent geopolitical, economic and trade climate how much will this affect future investments and value creation across the whole energy sector? Joining us today are three experts ready to discuss value creation in the…
Modern finance leaders have had to navigate turbulent waters over the last five to 10 years, buffeted by waves of geopolitical and macro market forces, rising economic nationalism, trade protectionism and environmental instability. Add that to the unprecedented pace of technological change, shifting consumer behaviours and a reimagined workforce. Here to give us insight on how CFOs are dealing with today's tough climate while preparing for the future is Kwee Juan Han, Group Executive and Group Head of Institutional Banking at DBS, Marie Myers, CFO at Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Andre…
It is no surprise that for decades the US has reigned supreme when it comes to early stage tech dealmaking. Its risk appetite, coast to coast funding options, integrated market and policy support has created a perfect environment for would-be entrepreneurs to find funding and grow their companies into global tech titans. But, there is no shortage of investable tech firms in the EU. From 2019-2024 the continent generated more high tech startups than the US every year, yet the US had four times more deal value in 2024, $209bn to Europe’s $62bn. Europe can create its own tech giants but to do…
The term polycrisis has been gaining traction in recent times as the world faces one disaster after another that are all interlinked. The far-reaching implications of a world at risk means boardrooms must remain agile to navigate their businesses past the rocks and into calmer seas. In a break away from our normal format, we've created our own boardroom. Sat around our virtual table today are three experts ready to discuss what risks are out there, how boards are dealing with them and what the boardroom dynamic needs to be to navigate a fast evolving and uncertain future. They are Sean…
In today's digital world, artificial intelligence, data storage and cybersecurity are a critical triumvirate, intersecting to form a dynamic ecosystem that underpins modern technological infrastructure. They are strategic pillars that drive innovation, operational efficiency and risk management. Thus their interaction and integration is key to building resilient and secure digital systems capable of supporting the demands of our digitally dependent future. In this episode Charlie Giancarlo, CEO, Pure Storage discusses how important it is for an organisation where your data is, and how to…
Biotechnology is the use of biology in the production of new products, services, and organisms with the aim of improving human health and society. In 2024, the global biotech market was worth $1.68 trillion. By application, the health segment was responsible for just over half of that figure. Not surprising when you think that healthcare focused biotech companies are battling to solve some of our biggest health concerns; turning an ageing society into a longevity society by supporting longer and healthier lives. In this episode of The Next Five, Paul Little, CEO of Vesper Bio discusses…
Despite an interconnected and increasingly digitalised world, a historical black cloud has been hanging over an area of finance relied upon by institutions, retail and a billion people associated with migrant work: Cross-border payments. Domestic money transfer has seen a dramatic overhaul due to the digital revolution of recent years. But sending money internationally is a whole different ball game. Each country operates their own payment systems at varying levels of technological maturity and regulation. Due to this, historically, sending money has been both time consuming and costly,…
In today’s competitive global landscape the responsibilities of CFOs are diversifying more than ever. The fast paced digital revolution, geopolitical uncertainty, economic volatility and the environmental impact of climate change means the modern CFO must adapt to future proof the financial health of their organisations. The need to remain agile and requires fleet of foot finance leaders. In the modern world, technology is helping CFOs to gain visibility over their business functions and react to an ever evolving global landscape. In this Episode of The Next Five, Anna Manz, CFO of Nestlé…
The world is grappling with the need to hit the global Net Zero by 2050 target which means the net amount of greenhouse gases emitted into, and removed from, the atmosphere is zero by that date. All the while providing safe, secure and affordable energy for citizens. A tug of war between outcomes is afoot, where difficult decisions and trade-offs will need to be made by governments, energy majors and consumers. Energy security is key for economic resilience. Progress made in the last few decades in the UK and Euro area was buffeted by the Russia Ukraine war. Geopolitical events, such as…
We live in a world of tremendous uncertainty where businesses are increasingly challenged to adapt to a rapidly evolving risk landscape. Economic instability, rising geopolitical tensions, technological disruption, cyber threats and the energy transition, are just some of the concerns for boards and businesses globally. Companies need to prepare for risk and maintain resilience. In this episode of The Next Five, Vince Tizzio, President and CEO of AXIS highlights the important role that the insurance industry plays in managing risk, and the need for specialisation and collaboration within…
If money makes the world go round, then data tells you how fast it’s spinning and when it might stop. 90% of all data was generated in the last 2 years and every 2 years the volume of data doubles. With 11 billion devices connected to the internet today, the annual global data generation in 2025 is expected to be 181 zettabytes, that’s 181 trillion gigabytes. To put it in context, we use about 3 gigabytes to stream netflix in high definition for an hour. In other words, the modern world can’t live without data. To continue to understand the world, especially as we move ever more into the…
The premium alcohol industry is about more than just indulgence. It’s a category that is garnering greater attention from consumers, investors and collectors. Increased disposable incomes, celebrity culture and social media has created new avenues for brand recognition and sales. Partnerships with other luxury brands also bring cross pollination appeal and is an area top spirit brands are looking to take more advantage of. Investing in premium alcohol is also an area of growth. Brand, age and rarity set the standard for big prices. The whisky category has seen records consistently broken in…
Individual creativity and idea construction sets us apart within our own societies, it is a deeply desirable trait, and can give you power and wealth. ‘Gosh, what a great idea!’, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ are often thought and heard. Cue Artificial intelligence, AI can enhance and enable our creativity- giving thousands of creative solutions to our input ideas. Less a brainstorm and more a cosmic tsunami of creation, all in a matter of seconds. It does this without its own personal agenda and selfish desire to have the idea that brings with it the potential for expression, power and…
"Prevention is better than cure” is a fundamental principle of modern healthcare. In this episode of the Next Five, in paid partnership with GSK, we look at health care prevention in ageing societies, with a particular focus on vaccine uptake. Ever since 1796, when Dr. Edward Jenner inoculated an 8-year-old boy against smallpox with a vaccine containing the milder strain cowpox, vaccination has become a part of the preventative medicine armoury. Vaccines have lowered the impact of many diseases, and benefits go beyond the health of the individual by reducing the cost and burden placed on…
After slumping during the pandemic, business travel is picking up pace: it’s expected to hit pre-pandemic levels this year with spending on it slated to reach $1.4tn in 2024. But post-Covid, the landscape of corporate travel is changing, reflecting the evolving global economy, a diverse workforce and the growing importance attached to sustainability. The cost of travel is rising and businesses seeking to balance budgets need to find flexible tools for managing business travel and the variables and unexpected events, such as flight delays, that come with it. New innovations are becoming even…
Cybersecurity has never been more important; Everything is now connected to a network, and rapid technological advancements are being met with new and novel cyber threats, however cutting-edge advancements in AI within cybersecurity are rising to meet them, empowering individuals, businesses, and governments to build a safer, more secure online future. In this podcast, we examine the importance of collaboration between public and private players to safeguard society, critical infrastructure and valuable assets against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. In the fourth episode of this…
About The Next Five
The Next Five is the FT’s partner-supported podcast, exploring the future of industries through expert insights and thought-provoking discussions with host Tom Parker. Each episode brings together leading voices to analyse the trends, innovations, challenges and opportunities shaping the next five years in business, technology, health and lifestyle This content is paid for by advertisers and is produced in partnership with the Financial Times’ Commercial Department Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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