Gordon Brown (UK Prime Minister) – “A priority for this Government is to prepare Britain for the economy of the future and to make sure our young people can seize the opportunities that innovations in science and technology will bring. The shape of jobs to come shows what might be on offer for the next generation. I hope it will inspire young people to gain the skills and training they will need to succeed.”

The purpose of this report is to highlight examples of the kinds of jobs, careers and professions that could result from advances in science and technology in the period from 2010 to 2030. The report was commissioned as part of the Science: [So what? So everything] campaign which is aimed at promoting public interest in science and engineering and highlighting their importance to the UK’s future. Science: [So what? So everything] is funded by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills.

To help identify and understand the jobs of the future, the study has undertaken a short science and technology ‘horizon scanning’ exercise. The aim was to identify a sample of key science and technology trends and developments that could occur over the next twenty years and create a timeline highlighting when such developments may come to maturity. Based on these trends, we have identified and profiled a sample selection ‘The Shape of Jobs to come’ – encompassing examples both of ‘Jobs that don’t yet Exist’ and of current jobs that could become more prominent. These were evaluated by a global audience of future thinkers using an online survey.