Charting Disruption: Five Converging Themes Set to Define 2026 – Global X ETFs – 11.12.25

Summary:

The modern economy is defined by accelerating disruption. Forces like technological innovation, demographic shifts, resource constraints, and deglobalization are reshaping industries and creating new investment opportunities. These structural shifts are increasingly interconnected, amplifying their collective impact.

At the center of this transformation is artificial intelligence. The rapid adoption of AI technologies is driving real-world breakthroughs across key sectors, reshaping resource demand, and accelerating applications in areas like defense and beyond.

In this webinar, we will provide a look into our recently published thematic outlook – Charting Disruption – and propose five themes we expect to accelerate in 2026.

• Artificial Intelligence: The intelligence layer powering productivity, creativity, and automation.
• AI Semiconductors and Data Centers: The physical backbone enabling the scaling of AI computing and digital infrastructure.
• Electrification: The looming power transformation necessary to advance the technologies of tomorrow.
• Infrastructure Development: Rebuilding physical and digital foundations to support AI’s advancement, critical technologies, and future energy systems.
• Defense Technology: Innovation at the intersection of national security, AI, and cybersecurity.

Accepted for 1 CFP / IWI / CFA CE Credit

Speakers:

Arelis (Lis) is the Director of Research & Strategy at Global X, where she leads research initiatives across the company’s full product lineup. She has been with Global X since 2022, where she started as a Research Analyst covering healthcare-related funds in the Thematic Growth suite. Prior to joining Global X, she worked as a Senior Healthcare Analyst at Third Bridge, focusing on U.S. life sciences, diagnostics, biotech, pharmaceutical services, and animal health. Lis holds a BA from Babson College in Business, with a concentration in Global Businesses Management.

Tejas Dessai leads Global X’s Thematic Research efforts as Director of Research. Tejas joined Global X in 2022 as a Research Analyst, covering technology themes and products, with a focus on disruptive technologies including artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity, social media, gaming, and digital advertising. His research has been extensively covered in the tech and financial press, including the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, Business Insider, and Reuters. Prior to joining Global X, Tejas worked as an Associate for SSR LLC, an independent research provider, covering mega and large cap TMT equities, specifically focusing on disruptive technology and emerging trends. Tejas holds a BTech in Electronics and Communications Engineering from the National Institute of Technology Goa and earned his MEng in Industrial Engineering from North Carolina State University at Raleigh.

Madeline joined Global X in 2022 as a Research Analyst covering the suite of Infrastructure & Environment ETFs. Prior to joining Global X, Madeline worked as a Power & Renewables Analyst with Fitch Solutions where she covered markets primarily in the Americas. Previously, she held research roles across a wide range of climate change and renewable energy-related topics, including with BloombergNEF, NASA DEVELOP, and the International Food Policy Research Institute. Madeline earned her MA in Climate and Society from Columbia University and a BS in Physical Geography, Cartography and Geographic Information Systems, and Turkish from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.