"Looking forward to next year" at the beginning of a sentence

[pink dragon]

Looking forward to next year, we expect more changes due to market consolidation.

Could anyone paraphrase "Looking forward to next year" for me?
Is it like "As we look forward to next year"?

[A reply from NATIVE SPEAKERS would be appreciated. ]

[Harry Smith]

Looking forward to next year, we expect more changes due to market consolidation.

Could anyone paraphrase "Looking forward to next year" for me?
Is it like "As we look forward to next year"?

[A reply from NATIVE SPEAKERS would be appreciated. ]

You are very impatient to see all those changes next year.

[Anglika]

It indicates that you are considering the future possibilities - looking into the future.

[pink dragon]

Thank you Harry Smith and Anglika,

This is a participial construction, isn't it?
Participial constructions can mean several meanings such as a reason, time, condition, attendant circumstances, and compromise.

Q1: I would like to know which of them the above sentence means.

Q2: Could anybody show what it would be like when the above sentence is rewritten like this:
e.g. 1 Seeing the police officer, he ran away.
(= As soon as he saw the police officer, he ran away.)

e.g. 2 Having much to do, she felt depressed.
(= Because she had much to do, she felt depressed.)

[A reply from ENGLISH NATIVE SPEAKERS would be appreciated.]

[pink dragon]

Thank you, Niall Beag!

NowI understand very well.
I really appreciate it.