Future research: discovering business ideas at an early stage

The retropolation method enables businessmen to look into the future of their industry for a good 50 years and to recognize at an early stage profitable ideas for products, services, and business strategies. The article provides insights into the method.

Our actions today determine part of the near and medium-term future. The gardener who plants a tree knows this well – as does the surgeon who performs an operation, the operator of a regional wholefood shop and, of course, the building planner.

With regard to the sustainability of building planning, a look back in history can prove worthwhile. The farsighted Romans planned and built traffic routes, some of which were used for 1,700 years. The total costs for building, including maintenance and repair per year of utilization, were then most likely less important than creating a transportation...

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