The Next World Project

The year is 2030. We’re looking down at a landscape from above. From a height of at least 3,000 meters. Small towns, villages, fields, forests, a river, roads, and a high-speed train line. There’s Gurten.

Let’s take a closer look... everything is as you know it, everything is where it’s always been: the church tower, the soccer field, the school. Yet something is different. You drift closer, aboard a drone taxi. The doors whir open. You step out onto terra firma, greeted by fresh air. Everything is clean, everything is friendly, and ever so green.

You’re standing in a meadow with flowers in bloom and thousands of bees buzzing around the blossoms. A network of paths leads you to a strange-looking modern building. It’s bright, and its facade is made of stamped concrete and lots of glass. You walk up the gentle incline of a ramp. You can now see inside. You see a wide room, divided into twelve zones.

Children are busy working away on their projects, deeply engrossed. Humanoid robots are collaborating with people, 3D printers are giving form to ideas and bringing them to life. In a film studio, a video clip is being produced, with a small camera drone circling the actors. On a large LED wall, children are embarking on a virtual journey through the universe and discovering new galaxies. In a sound lab, strategies to reduce noise pollution are being developed and tested, while a small recycling machine collects materials, separates them, and processes them into new products.

You notice how calm and relaxed the coaches are as they keep a watchful eye on things, subtly guiding the flow of events. Of course, AI plays an important role here, but it does so discretely, helping out behind the scenes. It’s a place of optimism, fun and empathy.

You continue along the glass facade. A huge high-tech training center spans several stories. A diverse group of apprentices from various companies is being trained here. Three coaches are teaching them about using different materials, as well as nurturing their creative thinking and social skills.

On the large terrace, some of the students are kicking back on stylish lounge furniture in the shade of a huge oak tree. While checking online news updates, the talk turns to trends and the future. Sipping an espresso (the coffee beans sourced from the energy self-sufficient Green Lab), you listen in to their conversations, quietly impressed. You hear noise and laughter coming from the adjacent Fun Court. Some boys and girls are busy inventing a new ball game.

On your way back to the air taxi, you encounter a group of preschool children. They are intently following a man in his mid-sixties. This is Michael, a passionate botanist. With his enthusiasm and his gift for telling stories about every tree and leaf, he has the children spellbound.

Back in the drone, you think back on everything you’ve seen and witnessed. What a world and what a future! You slowly open your eyes. And then you realize. It’s 2030. The future is almost upon us.

The Next World is a project by Fill and an extraordinary educational center dedicated to fun, openness, friendship, and the development of new technologies. Welcome to the future.