In this episode of The New Abnormal podcast, I interview Neil Shearing, the Group Chief Economist at Capital Economics, where he leads a world-class team of economists and oversees the firm’s global research agenda.

A trusted voice in international finance, Neil is known for his clear, insightful analysis of the global economy - insights that regularly feature in the Financial Times and other major publications, as well as on TV and radio.

Earlier in his career, he served as an Economic Adviser at HM Treasury, working on fiscal policy and global economics.

In the interview, we discuss his new book 'The Fractured Age' in which he describes how the tectonic plates of the global order are shifting, creating new pressures that will strain long-standing financial structures. Neil explains where the world's new economic fault lines will emerge, and how disruptive they'll be...

This episode of The New Abnormal podcast features Gergely Nemeth, former Head of Strategic Foresight at NATO and now CEO of Hungary’s Defence Innovation Research Institute (VIKI), who reflects on a career ‘impacted by coincidence’ but marked by increasing responsibility in defence planning, policy, and foresight.

Beginning as an intelligence analyst, he moved through roles in Hungary’s Ministry of Defence, NATO committees, and finally NATO’s Strategic Foresight team, where he revitalized foresight processes disrupted by COVID. A pivotal assignment in Brussels during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine gave him direct experience in international defence collaboration and NATO’s “art of the deal” diplomacy.

At VIKI, Nemeth leads efforts in foresight, innovation, and strategic outreach, supporting projects such as XR-based training systems and advancing the robotization of armed forces, which he views as inevitable due to demographic, technological, and battlefield realities.

A key point we discuss is the role of hope in futures thinking: Gergely believes that foresight must not only identify risks but also shape preferable futures through agency and action. Above all, he stresses the importance of intellectual honesty, institutional adaptation, and collaborative innovation as vital for building resilient defence ecosystems...

This episode of The New Abnormal features Lourdes Rodriguez, a Strategic Foresight Consultant with the European Commission and Co Exec Director at Teach the Future.

With a background in Psychology, her work has been focused on trends research and foresight for more than 15 years, and she's therefore deeply experienced in discovering new signal of change and seeds of the future in the present.

Lourdes is currently also doing a Master’s in Cyber Politics and Government, as she's interested in learning more about the impact of emerging technology in a geopolitical context, how it could affect our governments, our democracies and ultimately, our lives.

You'll understand why Forbes magazine describes her as 'one of the best futurists in Spain' as she describes her past career and current activity in our conversation.

So...I hope you enjoy the discussion!