What to expect for 2050?

Debating the transformations of our century – from demographics and health to climate and Europe’s political future.

The first twenty-five years of the 21st century have already transformed society in profound ways. What lies ahead for the next quarter, as we approach 2050?

This is the central question explored in Changement de quart (Chronica, 2025), written by academic Bruno Colmant, entrepreneur and philosopher Laurent Hublet, and journalist Marie Vancutsem.

The three authors will join us at TheMerode for a conversation rooted in current affairs. Drawing on their different perspectives, they will analyse the major transformations of our time, focusing on demographic shifts, health challenges, and climate change.

Between optimism and pessimism, they will debate the forces reshaping Europe and the world, with particular attention to the evolution of the Belgian model.

Don’t miss this thought-provoking reflection at the intersection of politics, philosophy, and sociology, exploring where we stand at the quarter mark of this millennium – and how we might navigate the choices and challenges that lie ahead.

speaker

Bruno Colmant holds a PhD in Applied Economics from the Université Libre de Bruxelles and a Master of Science from Purdue University (USA), as well as two Master’s degrees (one in Applied Economics from Solvay and one in Taxation from ICHEC). He has held senior positions at Roland Berger Consulting, the Fondation contre le Cancer (CEO), ING (CFO), AGEAS (Deputy CEO), Banque Degroof Petercam (CEO), and the Brussels Stock Exchange, where he served as CEO and a member of the Executive Committee of the New York Stock Exchange. He is a member of the Board of Directors of several companies, including Banque Nagelmackers, Unibra, I-Care, and the New Tree and Brederode holding companies, of which he is Chairman. He is also active in charitable organizations (Fondation contre le Cancer, Médecins du Monde, etc.). A member of the Royal Academy of Belgium, he has authored/co-authored over 90 books, mainly on financial economics and monetary policy. He teaches at several universities.

speaker

Laurent Hublet is a Partner at Roland Berger. Over the last 15 years, Laurent has been working at the intersection of strategy consulting, entrepreneurship, digital innovation, and policy making. He began his career in strategy consulting at BCG, before working with Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, overseeing the Federal digital agenda. He then founded and led BeCentral, one of Europe’s largest and most vibrant tech campuses – and an entrepreneurial success story. Laurent shares regular reflections in L’Echo as a columnist, and he is the author of “Bruxelles Mondiale”, a captivating book on the forgotten story of Belgian pioneers of information technologies. Laurent holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, and studied Business Engineering and Philosophy at the University of Brussels. He’s the father of Victor (14) and Chiara (12).

speaker

Marie Vancutsem is a radio journalist for La Première RTBF. She works for the programme Matin Première, in which she presents reports on current affairs, with a particular focus on personal accounts and immersion. Passionate about media and new technologies, she also presents Les Clés Médias on Fridays, a programme that takes the time to explore the issues affecting these sectors in depth.

moderator

Amélie Bruers has been a journalist at RTBF since 2018, working in radio, news, online and in the regional offices of Charleroi, Mons and Namur. In 2019, she joined the Vews team. She specialises in feminist, anti-racist and LGBTQIA+ issues.

What to expect for 2050?

Bruno Colmant

Laurent Hublet

Marie Vancutsem

Amélie Bruers

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What to expect for 2050?

Bruno Colmant

Laurent Hublet

Marie Vancutsem

Amélie Bruers

Become a member

Reach us

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