From publishers to soap-makers, royals to the church, we present the front-runners who will be powering the world in 2016 and beyond.

The world's governments would be lost without interpreters. Meet the old hands at the UN headquarters and the students who will help us understand one another in the years ahead. Without these guys, nothing gets done.

From laser technology and missile deployment to regional rivalry, these are the military developments set to shape how nations make foreign policy over the coming year.

At these global institutions it’s the thought that counts. We’ve been to London, Nairobi, Madrid, Hong Kong and Washington to meet the researchers and academics that fill think-tanks with ideas and policies to direct those that wield the power.

Despite the economic and refugee crises crashing onto Greece’s shores, there is one line of work keeping the country afloat. We drop anchor at the maritime school and naval academy educating those who will be serving the country for years to come by signing up to a life at sea.

The textile-and-clothing industry has always been integral to Europe’s economy. Despite Asia’s recent dominance, German looms and presses are still whirring away as tried-and-tested companies are brought back into the fold.

Too many residential towers play by the rules. We are granted rare access to Torres Blancas, a fantastical expression of 1960s modernism that remains as current and desirable as ever.

In the commercial battle for our skies, Airbus has planted its European standard firmly in Boeing's US soil. But with new players entering the passenger-jet game, the old duopoly is facing ever more crowded skies.

Our editor in chief is no stranger to airports and so knows the appeal of landing close to the heart of the action as opposed to being stranded out in the sticks. Will 2016's city-planners get on board?

Grand transit projects add sheen to a city government's reputation but cheaper, less disruptive ways to keep things moving are on the rise. Don't be surprised to see tiny buses on your town's streets soon.

Honda’s Super Cub scooter is about to enter a petrol-free future in the form of its successor, the EV-Cub. The original 1958 curves are still there, with the addition of all the requirements of affordable green transport.

From fashion brands in Budapest to Tokyo’s sport scene, we check out the places with markets worth monitoring in 2016.

Bigger isn’t always better, as these petite but perfectly formed shared spaces prove. From a restaurant-cum-shop in Tokyo to a set-up in São Paulo that serves everything from cocktails to culture, we size up the tiny trailblazers that will be forging a path in 2016.

An Italian company has taken inspiration from nature to design a graceful outdoor gym. The collaboration, using specially developed materials, is robust enough to survive in public spaces but beautiful enough to avoid ruining them.

Rural depopulation is the flipside of the urban success story but there are ways to make sure it doesn’t leave city-dwellers bereft of fresh produce or their age-old connection to the soil. Here are three firms ploughing their own furrows to get the countryside growing again.

Roman roads that still lead the way, the future of the EU, the sheer pleasure of swinging an axe and a few more subjects to fire up your imagination and get you talking in 2016.

See no evil, hear no evil and you know the rest – what we’re trying to get at is that the advent of the Year of the Monkey is a very positive development. Peel a banana, grab a friend to groom and find out why.

The island state is not used to letting people do anything they want and that means it’s been stuck with a moribund arts scene. But the new National Gallery aims to change perceptions of the country at home and abroad. Here’s how.

A slice of fairytale magic could be yours for €50,000 for a 30-second commercial or a cool €200m for a blockbuster – but where is the heart of animation in 2016? From paintbrushes to computer screens, we profile a superpower and the pretenders waiting in the wings.

In the US, Germany, the UK, Indonesia, Hong Kong and China, a renewed interest in the printed word means more books are being dusted off and fewer e-readers are being turned on. Is this a new chapter?

Chairs, tables and ceramics are, first and foremost, made to be used. But buy the right pieces and 2016 could be the year that you make a profit on your Prouvé and earn from your Eames; here’s how to go from home to auction house.

Many cities need more housing schemes but fall short of making them characterful and interesting. We visit a Swiss development that has built-in charm and diversity.

Megan Billings reporting from Church Hill: The heart of the old American South is being revitalised by community funding and innovators looking for a new challenge.

The traditionally working-class neighbourhood of Jalan Besar is emerging as a hotbed of creativity, cafés, architecture practices, galleries and studios. What’s more, the sophistication of the area’s offering is growing by the day.

Many Sydneysiders – young families as well as up-and-coming creatives – are breathing new life into this idyllic community on the Lower North Shore.

Big-box retail and out-of-town stores are struggling in the DIY sector. This is the chance for a revival of small inner-city hardware hubs where knowledge and service rule the day. In Italy they have a model to copy.

There’s something wrong with the homes being erected around the globe: they are all about a chilly display of wealth, not creating a place that makes you feel safe. It’s time to campaign for a new healthy architecture.