10 Big Ideas that will shape Europe in 2025

It's the end of the year – a time to not only reflect on what faced us in 2024 but also to anticipate what the next 12 months have in store. What trends will be truly transformational, and what will prove to be a passing fad?

In 2024, generative AI and a volatile economic climate defined the global business environment. In the year ahead, the value of human connection will come to the forefront, with AI becoming part of daily life and businesses reinventing how to reach customers in authentic ways – opening the door for new discoveries and economic opportunity. 

Every December, LinkedIn News spotlights bold predictions, emerging trends and innovative ideas from our editors and experts around the world that are poised to shape the year ahead. This year’s 10 Big Ideas offer a glimpse into what may define Europe in 2025 and beyond.

What prediction or trend do you expect to have the biggest impact in the year ahead, and why? Share your thoughts in the comments or by posting a video with #BigIdeas2025. 

Check out Beth Kutscher ’s analysis of the Big Ideas of what we got right – and wrong – with some of last year’s Big Ideas predictions. And you can see our local Big Ideas for Australia, India, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Türkiye, Brazil, Mexico, the Netherlands, the UK, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and the US.

Planning a holiday escape but not sure where to go? In 2025, VR and AR technologies will revolutionise tourism – helping you get a sneak peek of your next destination, enhancing your experience through interactive maps and personalised recommendations from remote assistants.

This immersive technology is transforming the travel industry, with virtual tourism expected to reach over $24bn (€22.7bn) by 2027, according to Statista . But technology doesn't mean you have to forget real-world travel. Once at your destination, augmented reality (AR) can enhance your journey by providing real-time translations, up-to-the-minute traffic details and insights into historical monuments. For instance, the startup AI Tour has developed software using AR glasses to show detailed reconstructions of Pompeii's buildings, interiors and artefacts superimposed on the ruins.

These evolutions will reshape how we discover and interact with the world, making travel more accessible, educational and captivating. "What will be revolutionary in the year ahead," says Margherita Maria Mancini , a research analyst at the Travel Innovation Observatory of Polytechnic University of Milan, "is integrating AR features into maps and developing smart glasses. As VR and AR hardware like headsets and smart glasses become more common, their impact will be even more significant." 

The rapid development of supporting technologies, such as wearable devices like the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest, with features like voice commands, gesture controls and customizable settings will make these tools more user-friendly and accessible to a broader audience. Overall, these technologies will enhance travellers' experiences, increase engagement, boost awareness and elevate overall satisfaction. — Alessandro Mariani

💡How could VR and AR change the way we explore and experience new destinations? Weigh in using the hashtag #BigIdeas2025

Extreme weather events are getting bigger, more frequent and affecting areas they previously didn't, and – as insurers pull out, governments will find themselves stepping in.

In Florida, where this storm season cost an estimated $100bn (€94.6bn), premiums have soared and insurers have left the state, some going into liquidation. In the UK, the Bank of England estimates 4m UK homes could be uninsurable by 2030 and Australia's Climate Council puts its figure at one in 25 homes.

Experts say we're reaching a tipping point and insurance models need to change rapidly. "The weather system is much more volatile and that volatility is increasing. We're seeing 'threshold events' – things that the models may not capture because they don't exist in the historical record," Sandy Trust , of Institute and Faculty of Actuaries , tells LinkedIn News.

The consequences for the wider economy are raising red flags. Governments are intervening as "insurers of last resort" but are looking at what's next. "With insurance prices going up, they're saying, 'What do we do about this?'" says Trust. In Europe, the EU is exploring an "emergency backstop" for the insurance industry, and the French government recently kicked off a consultation on the problem. "Insurance is the invisible lubricant of the economy – it shouldn't be left to fail," Trust says.

Thinking will be not just on an individual scale but whether whole groups of people can access insurance. "The fundamental purpose of insurance is risk sharing and the question is how narrow a group you share with," says actuary Lloyd Richards, FIA CERA CStat . "You can probably share things more equitably if you think globally rather than regionally." — Siobhan Morrin

💡As extreme weather events continue to worsen, what solutions might emerge to ensure broader access to insurance coverage? Weigh in using the hashtag #BigIdeas2025

Can robots solve the housing crisis? As the labour shortage in construction deepens, AI-powered robots may hold the key to building homes faster and more efficiently.

At least 1.6 billion people lack adequate housing globally – a number that could nearly double by 2030, according to the United Nations. One big reason for the crisis? A dearth of construction workers. 250,000 additional construction workers are needed by 2028 to meet demands and almost a third of construction companies label the search for skilled staff a “key challenge".

New startups, such as Amsterdam-based Monumental , could help close the gap. Their AI-powered robots specialise in laying bricks and can potentially help ease labour demand, founder and CEO Salar al Khafaji told MT/Sprout : "Our robots can join the existing workforce and are able to work whatever the weather, with very consistent results." 

The global market for construction robots is expected to grow 17.5% each year until 2030. These AI-powered helpers are being developed all over the globe – from robots that paint and lay floor tiles in Singapore to roof installers in the US. And another Dutch startup, ROPAX , even built a complete house. By this time next year, maybe a robot will build yours. — Melvin Captein

💡What do you think about construction robots and their potential impact? Weigh in using the hashtag #BigIdeas2025

More than 50% of the decline in global growth in recent years has been due to tepid productivity gains. In the coming year, major economies will invest in their workforces to turn this around. 

Over the past few years, global economic policymaking has been preoccupied with many other things – dealing with the pandemic and its aftermath, navigating global conflicts and geopolitical tensions, fighting inflation and avoiding a global recession.

The global economy has persevered and shown remarkable resilience through it all. But it has been left with a worrying legacy of low growth and high debt. Now is the time for global economies to capitalise on the resilience it has developed in recent years to focus on growth. We can do that by making work work better for more people.

Policymakers in 2025 will need to invest in reforms like reducing barriers to competition, cutting red tape and advancing digitalisation, to name just a few. The right reforms can help boost productivity, enhance skills and seize the benefits of the green and digital transitions. Governments will need help from the private sector, who can provide capital and innovation, to pull this off.

We will raise our growth ambitions and create good jobs where people need them most. — Kristalina Georgieva , managing director of the International Monetary Fund

💡Do you believe global growth in the year ahead hinges on supporting workers? Why or why not? Weigh in using the hashtag #BigIdeas2025

Imagine: you arrive at the doctor's office, and all they need to do is apply a simple dye to your body to see what's happening inside. Advances in tissue clearing techniques could very soon make it possible to establish diagnostics and manage diseases in a much less invasive way than at present. 

Last year marked a breakthrough with a publication in the academic journal Science detailing a technique that – so far only in mice – makes tissues transparent, allowing light to pass through, for example, the skull skin or abdomen, which could eventually enable viewing inside the human body without machines. This innovative and simple technique involves no toxic chemicals and the type of ointment tested for this study can also be easily removed. 

Jorge Parra Ruiz , who holds a Ph.D. in medicine, describes it as a “revolution in the visualisation of internal organs", while Ramon Reyes , president of the Spanish Association Against Cancer, states: "New, less invasive detection methods, like the one described in this paper, are crucial for cancer research. They enable more effective diagnostics with minimal discomfort for patients, making them accessible to all."

Typically, advancing research techniques from mice to humans is slow, but this method might be an exception: the substance used is made from a dye commonly used in food, known to be safe for humans. Which makes it also a quiet low-cost technique. While human trials may not be ready by 2025, this could still be a pivotal year for advancing its application. — Ainhoa Iriberri

💡How do you think advancements in diagnostic testing will impact the future of patient care? Weigh in using the hashtag #BigIdeas2025

People are increasingly longing for the “good old days". According to a Pew Research report, 58% of Americans believe life in the United States is worse now than it was 50 years ago. However, what sets today’s nostalgia apart is its reinvention for modern audiences – and how it elevates timeless classics rather than just old successes.

Take British rock band Oasis. Despite ranking below the top 200 artists on Spotify , their return after 15 years sold out tickets immediately, tapping into nostalgia and the current appetite for live experiences. Similarly, HBO is reviving Harry Potter with a series that stays close to the books while introducing inclusive casting, ensuring the story resonates with today’s audience and solidifying its place as a cultural cornerstone.

Outside entertainment, brands like Renault are also modernising classics. The relaunch of its iconic R4 retains its beloved design but transforms it into a fully electric car, aligning with sustainability goals. These efforts don’t just revisit the past; they redefine these icons for the future, ensuring their continued relevance.

What's behind the emergence of this trend? Marketing expert Paco Lorente explains: "In moments of longing, we turn to decisions we made in the past that proved successful." 

But sociologist Alejandra Nuño goes further: "There’s hope in doing things better," she says. This approach builds on the enduring appeal of classics, transforming them into symbols of continuity and innovation. — Ana Muñoz Vita

💡How do you see the trend of reinventing nostalgia for modern audiences evolving in the year ahead? Weigh in using the hashtag #BigIdeas2025

The single market stands as Europe's most significant achievement, fueling prosperity and embodying our core values. It’s also Europe’s primary tool for projecting its influence globally; through the strength of the single market, other global powers treat us as equals.

However, the single market was created in a different era, when both Europe and the world were smaller, simpler and less interconnected. How can we revitalise it, to reinforce Europe's productivity? In the Report on the Future of the Single Market and in my book, Much More Than a Market, I propose four key actions:

• Integrate capital markets, creating a savings and investment union to mobilise investments for EU strategic goals;
• Enable EU companies in finance, energy and telecommunications sectors to grow to a European scale, allowing them to compete on equal terms with US and Chinese conglomerates, which can be achieved while upholding consumer protection;
• Simplify business operations within the single market, especially for SMEs, to allow broader access to its benefits; and
• Ensure a "freedom to stay", offering opportunities for individuals and businesses who wish to contribute to the development of their local communities without pressuring them to relocate.

Looking forward, 2025 can be the year of a real reboot of the single market, so that Europe can return to reconciling sustained growth with social and environmental sustainability, openness and protection. — Enrico Letta , president of the Jacques Delors Institute and former Italian prime minister

💡How do you think Europe could revitalise and reinforce the single market? Weigh in using the hashtag #BigIdeas2025

The weight-loss drugs classed as GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as Wegovy and Ozempic, have been hailed as drugs that will "change the world". As the hype dies down in 2025, we'll tackle serious questions about the costs of treating obesity. The sheen will start to wear off as healthcare systems weigh the financial and other costs of these drugs.

For starters, there are unanswered questions about long-term side effects, especially since most people will need to take these drugs indefinitely. Already people with diabetes are worried that it will be harder to find insulin. And the drugs' high price tags risk exacerbating health disparities between the haves and have-nots.

Still, the gold rush will continue. The pipeline is deep: there are 39 GLP-1 compounds in development across 34 companies, according to a November analysis. Novo Nordisk – maker of Ozempic and Wegovy – is taking what it describes as an entrepreneurial approach to finding new mechanisms to treat obesity. It’s working with startups, academics and teaching hospitals, and utilising artificial intelligence and machine learning to find additional receptors to target. One focus, for example, is longer-acting biologics that would be more sustainable and require less-frequent dosing, according to Uli Stilz , vice president of Novo Nordisk's Bio Innovation Hub.

Before we even answer the outstanding questions, drugmakers will continue to offer new answers. — Beth Kutscher

💡How do you believe the rapid development and growing use of GLP-1 drugs will impact healthcare systems? Weigh in using the hashtag #BigIdeas2025

Lower emissions, less congestion and fewer barriers: Driverless electric buses are popping up in cities across the globe, ushering in a new era of public transport. Local government investments in mini- and midi-buses, which allow for more flexible services, have particularly gone up, and are expected to further increase over the next three years.

Hamburg, Germany is set to launch regular operations of its ride-pooling service Alike with 20 electric minibuses next year and expand its fleet to 10,000 vehicles by 2030. The German port city – up to now the country's most congested – will also host renowned public transport summit UITP , a move that has drawn attention from cities worldwide facing pollution and labour shortages.

Among these cities are Norway's capital Oslo and Geneva in Switzerland, where shared autonomous vehicles will soon hit the streets under the EU-funded Ultimo project. Already a step ahead are the UK's Didcot, Oxfordshire, and Edinburgh, Scotland, where autonomous bus fleets have been in operation since 2023. In Spain, meanwhile, an autonomous public bus connecting to the port of Málaga has successfully passed passenger tests, and the city of Shiojiri in Japan is also set to launch an autonomous bus in 2025, in the context of a driver shortage in several cities of the country. In the US, May Mobility is planning to expand its driverless shuttles in Detroit, Michigan, Miami, Florida and Sun City, Arizona. 

Low-density and rural areas could particularly profit from driverless vehicles such as on-demand minibuses. "They could bring immense benefits, including reducing the cost of operation," note UITP secretary-general Mohamed Mezghani and MIT professor Jinhua Zhao in an article for the World Economic Forum . This would offset, at least partially, the investments related to the manufacturing and distribution of these vehicles. — Katarina Lukač

💡How could driverless electric buses reshape public transportation? Weigh in using the hashtag #BigIdeas2025

The global edible packaging market is projected to reach around $1.28bn (€1.21bn) by 2030, growing at a compound annual rate of 5.4%. While much of the innovation in this space has so far occurred behind the scenes, rising pressure on retailers to eliminate single-use plastics could make 2025 the year edible packaging finally hits supermarket shelves.

The most viable option? Seaweed, like the wraps from UK-based Notpla . "Seaweed is not only abundant but incredibly biodegradable, and when processed, it forms a natural polymer that can be turned into a film or pouch," explains packaging director Lisa Cain . "These wraps protect the food, function as a moisture barrier, and – if the mood strikes – can be eaten … You can even infuse packaging with vitamins or create barriers that actively protect food from spoilage."

Cain notes that consumer attitudes have shifted dramatically in the last few years, particularly among gen Z and millennials. With the right blend of strategic marketing and educational campaigns to build trust, supermarkets are well-positioned to embrace edible packaging as the next game-changer for sustainable shopping.

Logistical challenges facing grocers are also being addressed. Food safety regulations and environmental sensitivities like temperature and moisture have presented real hurdles, but solutions are emerging rapidly. Secondary protective layers, akin to the paper wrapping around an ice cream cone, ensure durability during transit.

Meanwhile, smart sensors – already in use on some plastic packaging – could provide critical support, improving stock tracking, rotation and shelf-life management to ease the integration of edible alternatives. — Aaron Toumazou

💡How could edible packaging impact consumer habits? Weigh in using the hashtag #BigIdeas2025

What prediction or trend do you expect to have the biggest impact in the year ahead? Share your thoughts in the comments or by posting a video with #BigIdeas2025. And keep an eye out next week for LinkedIn's Big Ideas in tech, finance and retail.

Edited by: Emma Hudson