The Future of the Chemical Sciences

Abstract

Today’s world is characterised by turbulence with an increasing uncertainty in the global economy and in social and political relations. Scientific, social and technological trends are rapidly changing the way we live and work. These not only affect the nature and practice of chemistry, but also the roles that chemists play. With this in mind, the Royal Society of Chemistry launched the Future of the Chemical Sciences initiative to assess how the chemical sciences may evolve over the next ten to twenty years and the possible consequences for the community and society at large.