Advances in mixed-reality technologies and machine learning, coupled with the development of reactive and adaptable materials, are changing the way we think about what is real and what is digital. "Programmable reality", a term recently coined by forecasting agency The Future Laboratory, refers to the growing ability for material objects to assume digital attributes. Its advancement is set to transform product and retail development over the next five to 10 years. "Tomorrow's consumer will expect the world around them to become as personalised and responsive as online experiences have been," says Future Laboratory senior foresight writer Rhiannon McGregor. This has significant implications on the ways brands create and speak about their products.

On the surface, fashion's global impact shows no sign of waning. But look closely and you'll discover an industry struggling to evolve with the times. In December, The State of Fashion report by The Business of Fashion and McKinsey revealed that 67 percent of fashion executives believe conditions in the industry had worsened in the previous year. But, nearly a year later, are the seams still unravelling? The Future Laboratory has identified four major anxieties casting long shadows over the industry.

The decline of a single company culture, a surge in freelance workers, a workforce reshaped by artificial intelligence, and a 13% leap in productivity for companies that invest in employee wellness programs, are among the key trends that will define the state of the workforce in the Middle East over the next two decades. The last of these trends could generate as much as a 0.1% to 0.3% uplift in the GDP of a typical OECD country, according to predictions by UBS. Jürg Zeltner, President of Wealth Management at UBS, said: "The workplace is becoming far more complex. The relationship between employee and employer looks set to change significantly in the coming years, especially among workers who are currently only a short way into their careers. It is important that we prepare for these changes. Not only could they impact us, but also a number of our clients who run and own their businesses."

Tomorrow's graduates will be applying for jobs working in virtual worlds and outer space, experts claim, following the release of a new report predicting career trends for the next ten years. Research conducted by a group of leading technologists, academics and industry analysts suggests that a host of new job options will become available to those graduating in less than a decade's time, including "ethical technology advocates", "sustainable power innovators" and "virtual habitat designers". Contrary to common fears that robots will render human employment worthless, the expansion of new technology will provide countless more as yet unheard of career paths, experts believe, using virtual reality environments and better connected remote office environments. Ryan Asdourian, Microsoft's Windows and Surface Lead said of the report: "While these jobs may seem like the realms of science fiction, in reality they are indicative of changes that we are already seeing today." "The job market is changing at a more rapid pace than ever before, partly because of artificial intelligence."

The current generation of students could choose to take up a career in designing human bodies or taking tourists around our galactic neighbourhood, according to a new report. Only a third of university students believe their chosen career will exist in 10 years' time, say Microsoft and The Future Laboratory, which produced'Tomorrow's jobs'. The report predicts virtual reality design, robotic engineering and visual communications will be among the jobs of the future. 'While these jobs may seem like the realms of science fiction, in reality they are indicative of changes that we are already seeing today,' said Microsoft's Ryan Asdourian. 'At Microsoft, on a daily basis, our devices are being used by creatives at the forefront of their industries developing new ways to work, collaborate and create.'