People often ask me about what the future of chemistry is, what kind of jobs will exist? It's difficult, if not impossible to predict the answer to the question but there has recently been a piece of research: The Future of Work: Jobs and Skills in 2030.

UKCES have researched the job market of the future and has come up with 4 main possiblities:

1. Forced Flexibility - greater flexibility and moderate innovation
2.The Great Divide - high tech industries
3. Skills Activism - technological innovation
4. Innovation Adaptation - implementation of ICT solutions

The paper explores the financial. technological and political effects on the UK. It makes an interesting read.

Of course one can never predict the future accurately but the landscape is likely to be different and it opens up a lot of questions. Will we use new and emerging technologies to increase productivity and efficiency?, what will happen to the workforce?, how will we learn?

What we can be sure of is that we are likely to use more technology, and combine it with other things, like has already happened with biometrics. Will there be a role for chemists? Of course, perhaps not in the same ways as now but using our logical, problem solving and data skills may become even more important.