The World Ahead

John Hourican, CEO: "I am confident that the city of London will continue to be a powerhouse in global finance regardless of how the separation from Europe occurs.”

As he prepares for the biggest revolution in the 125-year history of the car industry, SEAT president Luca de Meo has no doubt about the best place to be: in the driving seat.

Earlier and more effective diagnosis and treatment, a closer relationship between care providers and patients, and payments based on value rather than volume are all beginning to transform the world of healthcare.

One of the greatest challenges discussed by delegates at Davos in recent times has been how to decouple economic growth from increased energy consumption. After the two hottest years on record, the environmental and economic imperative is now greater than ever before.

While new inventions such as robotics and artificial intelligence grab all the headlines, a social revolution that is giving women increased economic power is also transforming many global industries.

One of the most active areas for innovation in today’s car industry is the development of mobility services for long-suffering city commuters. Ford has created a new business unit, Ford City Solutions, focused entirely on helping people move more easily through cities.

The future of distribution will be to build, manage and maintain the means to connect people in the energy space.

As the world evolves towards a low-carbon economy, major corporations across a range of industries are planning to join forces to foster the use of hydrogen as the missing link in the energy transition.

Elaine Dorward-King, Executive Vice President, Sustainability and External Relations: "We are leaders because we strongly believe that transparency is hugely important to the industry."

For Karl-Thomas Neumann, chief executive officer of the Opel Group, there is no room for doubt: autonomous driving and electric vehicles are more than just buzzwords or passing fads.