The opening graphics reminded us all that the world is changing dramatically, and that we need to be committed and organized to make sense of this change in order to make progress. Data is the shape of things to come, making knowledge to reveal complexity and unveil the true nature of our challenges — keeping people safe, protecting resources, maintaining infrastructure, feeding our growing population — making a difference around the globe together.

Rollén welcomed the record audience present at the event, as well as those watching online. The theme, The Disruptive Power of Transformation, touched on many themes, including these megatrends:

• Environmental degradation, with record floods around the world, and air pollution at high rates, with water as a growing precious resource.
• Urbanization, with more of people living in cities, and growing crime and gridlock on our streets. 30 million people per year are moving from the countryside to cities, and keeping up with the infrastructure to support this growth is becoming a problem for us.
• Scarce resources, without enough food and energy to maintain a high standard of living.
• The growing population is at the center of this problem.

Rollén said that IT or information technology is the way to calm the waters and stay ahead of these trends. Like their Scandinavian counterpart IKEA, Hexagon provides a product that its users put together and make the most of —telling the audience that they are the drivers for change.

Among the technology trends central to the event are:

• moving from human toward autonomous, driverless vehicles and drones for improved safety and efficiency
• technology convergence with merging of technologies into one device, such as the Leica Nova MS50 that scans direct to GIS or design software
• the ability for cloud computing to improve productivity and efficiency in the design process

Hexagon is moving from products to workflow solutions to simplify our lives, and allow all users to see the same reality. Positive transformation involves seeing the world as it is, and driving toward change. Hexagon looks to provide simplicity, allowing users to thing big and start small, seeing the true nature of the problem, and providing a clear vision to lead toward success.