The State of the Sharing Economy

The sharing economy has grown rapidly in the last 5 years, and is now popularized by big players such as Airbnb and Uber. But with growth, come growing pains. As the sector comes of age, what steps need to be taken now to unlock its full social potential and to ensure it remains an economic model that empowers not exploits?

Rachel Botsman is a global authority on the power of collaboration and sharing to change the way we live, work and consume. She is known for creating the theory of ‘collaborative consumption’, which she presented at the RSA in 2011.

Now, 5 years on, she returns to the RSA to look back on the evolution of the sector, to see what she got right and what she never saw coming; to consider where it's heading next – who will be the next breakout venture to be cited alongside Airbnb and Uber and what about the smaller ventures that are critical to the healthy diversity of the sector?; and to explore the big issues we need to tackle now, from platform culture to monopolization, the power of providers and the future of work.

Find out more about the RSA’s work on the Sharing Economy