The automotive industry of the 21^st century is making promises and delivering on them.  As I wrote in a column four months ago, if the federal government is thinking about spending tens of billions to prop up the remnants of last century’s automotive industry, it should also spend billions to support the innovative auto industry of this century.  Our investments should be towards birthing the future, not just on keeping the dying on life support.

In recent emails, Elon Musk, the visionary entrepreneur and founder of Tesla Motors wrote about the progress his company has made at it looks …

This is the third year I have provided readers with a forecast for the year ahead.  This forecast will be spread over several columns..  This first column frames where we are in a large historical context and the trends and forces that are reshaping the world as we enter this New Year.

The general feeling in the U.S. and around the world is relief that 2008 is over and uncertainty about 2009 and what lies ahead.  These two years are part of a 5-7 year transition period between two ages.  Humanity is moving from the Information Age to the Shift Age.

Whenever …

There has been much discussion in Washington and in the media about what to do with the Big Three.  One school of thought is that the country cannot afford for GM, Ford and Chrysler to fail and fall into bankruptcy so they must be bailed out  The other line of thinking is to let them fail as they have run the companies into the ground with an ostrich-like approach to strategic planning.

I have written a few columns about the Big Three, GM and the Chevrolet Volt.  I have written about how Ford …

The past few weeks have seen the unfolding of the financial crisis and meltdown of global equity markets.  During this time I have been traveling across North America giving speeches about the future to groups of CEOs and business owners.  In every instance, the primary concern of everyone has been what the short and long term ramifications of the financial crisis will be.  As a futurist I am asked at each presentation what I see ahead for the U.S. and global economy.  With the strong caveat that I am neither an economist nor a financial advisor, I have weighed …