Ten years ago, New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman shone a light on how the world was ‘flattening’; how the convergence of world events and new technologies had opened up the global supply chain to previously excluded economies. His book The World is Flat captured a pivotal moment in the 21st Century, examining the trends, opportunities and challenges this ‘next new world’ presented to countries, companies and individuals.
Ten years on, the writer offered new insights into the effects of technological change, globalisation, economic crisis and political turmoil, in a lecture that was thought-provoking and hugely entertaining.