FutureLinkNETWORK
INDEPENDENT RESEARCH AND ADVISORY

Technology market
research and advice

FutureLink works with strategy and innovation leaders to assess markets and advise company leadership. We help carry out their decisions through industry engagement and partnerships.

DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTUREFINANCIAL TECHNOLOGYCYBERSECURITY & AI GOVERNANCE
01 / SERVICES

Market research and strategy

We examine how technology, industry economics and policy affect your business.

Technology assessment

Assess how a technology could affect your customers and business model, and whether it warrants investment or a change in direction.

Market assessment

Examine demand, supply chains and financial performance. Identify barriers to entry and potential partners.

Policy and competition

Evaluate the effects of policy, trade and competitors’ decisions. Recommend where and how to respond.

02 / SELECTED WORK

Client work

01

Messaging interoperability

Global technology company

Advised a global technology company on messaging interoperability, with security and customer experience as priorities.

Analyzed mobile-industry finances and competition, alongside industry governance and participants’ interests. Helped organize a coordinated operator initiative and establish interoperability as an industry standards priority.

02

Financial-services market development

Cybersecurity company

Developed use cases and buyer materials for a cybersecurity company, covering digital asset custody and privileged access. Assessed how its proposed controls addressed operational risks and regulatory expectations.

Established separate partnerships with an insurance broker and an AI assurance certification provider.

Client and partner names are confidential.

03 / APPROACH

How we work

We agree on the decision to be made, then investigate the market and the organizations that affect it.

Mapping the system around a strategic decisionCustomer demand, suppliers and infrastructure, policy and institutions, and standards and partners connect to the strategic decision. Connections between participants reveal dependencies and sources of influence.Customers& demandSuppliers& infrastructurePolicy& institutionsStandards& partnersThe strategicdecision

The map identifies dependencies and who can influence the outcome.

  1. 01

    Research

    Examine the evidence, including financial data and developments in technology and policy.

  2. 02

    Map the participants

    Identify relevant companies and institutions. Establish their interests, responsibilities and influence.

  3. 03

    Recommend

    Set out the options for leadership, including costs, trade-offs and assumptions.

  4. 04

    Put the plan to work

    Engage executives and industry bodies. Develop the partnerships and joint initiatives needed to carry out the decision.

04 / WORKING TOGETHER

An initial strategy project

Typical deliverables

  • Market and competitive analysis
  • Map of participants and dependencies
  • Recommendations for leadership
  • Industry engagement and partnership plan

Further work can include executive meetings, industry initiatives and partner development, with regular reviews of progress.

Contact us ↗
05 / OUR NETWORK

Independent consultants

FutureLink was founded by Peter Lyons in 2019. Independent consultants work directly with clients, according to the expertise each assignment requires.

FOUNDER · NEW YORK

Peter Lyons

Email Peter ↗

I began my career in telecom, media and technology equity research. I later worked in industry partnerships and capital formation before founding FutureLink.

At the World Economic Forum, I worked with telecom, automotive, supply-chain and private-equity leaders on 5G, smart mobility and digital infrastructure, securing new and expanded partnerships.

At GSMA, I worked with operators, governments and regulators across the Middle East and Africa. I brokered an agreement with Iraqi operators, the Iraqi government and UNHCR to deliver humanitarian information by SMS to people displaced by ISIS.

My work has also included co-founding a digital securities venture, sourcing institutional investment and developing partnerships in financial-contract automation and cybersecurity.

INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT · NEW YORK

Ricardo Tavares

Technology policy, government affairs and international trade.

Ricardo has more than twenty years of experience in government affairs and public policy in technology and regulated industries.

He works on semiconductor policy, AI governance, telecommunications, international trade, and connected and autonomous vehicles.

He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on advisory boards at Harris Manchester College, Oxford, and the School of Global Policy and Strategy at UC San Diego.

06 / SELECTED WRITING

Published articles

Writing on financial contracts, digital assets and communications infrastructure.

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM · 2023

This is the path to smart financial contracts

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM · 2019

This digital currency could build a more sustainable global economy

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM · 2019

Can digital securities fund an $18 trillion infrastructure gap?

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM · 2019

The space internet race is dawning. Here’s what to expect

07 / CONTACT

Discuss a project

Email Peter with a brief description of the decision or project you need help with.

peter@futurelink.network ↗