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Last Edited: 7 days ago

MASTT20401December 2023 - November 2025

MANUFACTURING AS A SERVICE FOR THE EU'S TWIN TRANSITION UNTIL 2040

In the fast-evolving landscape of Manufacturing-as-a-Service (MaaS), the EU faces the crucial challenge of navigating the uncertainties of emerging changes, disruptions, and opportunities in the sector. This uncertainty demands a strategic approach to guide decision-making in the European manufacturing industry up to 2040. In this context, the MASTT2040 project uses inclusive foresight methods to build a shared understanding, engage key stakeholders, and craft a strategic roadmap, addressing short, medium, and long-term goals. The project’s overall goal is to make MaaS a catalyst for circularity, embed sustainability in industrial approaches, enhance supply resilience, and propel Europe to the forefront of MaaS expertise.

Find more information here.
 

Posted on: 03/01/2025

Last Edited: 7 days ago

IDEALIST1November 2023 - October 2026

3 InDustrial Ecosystems tAckLing supply chains dISrupTions and boosting advanced technologies uptake

The overall objective of "3 InDustrial Ecosystems tAckLing supply chain dISrupTions and driving the adoption of advanced technologies" (IDEALIST) is to support SMEs in energy-intensive industries, aerospace and defence, mobility, transport & automotive industrial ecosystems in their ability to understand and adapt to changes brought about by rapid and unexpected developments in the world such as the COVID-19 crisis or the Russia-led war in Ukraine.

These three sectors are of capital importance for the European economy and despite their specificity, have common challenges that the project helps address: transition to more sustainable practices, competitiveness issues in a context of scarcer raw materials and more expensive energy, change in consumption habits and more. Being more resilient means giving SMEs the opportunity to be a player in these changes and no longer just a spectator or follower. To do this, the project evolves around three pillars: strategic foresight to establish relevant tools and behaviors to anticipate and better prepare for change in an orderly and systematic way; technology uptake to overcome obstacles related to the implementation work of Advanced Technologies and lay the foundations of alliances between tech-savvy and traditional SMEs; and supply chains to identify critical dependencies and weaknesses in order to limit the impacts of disruptions on value chains. This work will lead to the realization of Pilot Projects promoting the meeting between ecosystems, facilitated by the use of the Hack&Match method. The mobilization of the AGORA platform led by EIT Manufacturing will support this objective of matchmaking and community building. The project is carried by a relevant consortium of 14 partners from 6 European countries and Ukraine representing several thousand manufacturing companies.

Find more information here.
 

Posted on: 03/01/2025

Last Edited: 11 days ago

Chem4EU1December 2021 - February 2023

Foresight for Chemicals

The chemical industry is a significant contributor to the EU economy. It is simultaneously instrumental to the green and digital transition and exposed to its effects. A steady supply of (green) create reusable and recyclable consumer goods. On the other hand, chemical synthesis is an energy-intensive process inherently dependent on carbon-based feedstock (currently derived almost exclusively from fossil fuels). In addition, chemistry is a global industry with international value chains, where the EU both collaborates and competes with other countries for materials, knowledge and skills.

Transforming the European chemical industry into a sustainable motor for the green and digital transition will require investments in infrastructure, assets and skills. Focus should be placed on chemicals that are crucial to this Twin Transition, , or both. The long lead time required for the deployment of infrastructure and the development of skills means that such investments must be made now to achieve targets set for 2050.

In connection with these issues, the report at hand aims to give insights into a number of value chains that are strategic to EU economy. It considers which chemicals and innovations are vital to transforming these value chains as well as rendering them more resilient and future-fit. To this end, a participatory workshop-based foresight approach was implemented to provide a unique set of insights from stakeholders and translate them into actions and policy recommendations.
Chapter 1 provides a general introduction into foresight and an overview of the project, the definitions used, the methodology applied and the approach to project implementation.

Chapter 2 details the 20 Critical Chemicals and 10 key Future Innovations, needed to secure the four Strategic Value Chains under consideration: Batteries, Connected Clean & Autonomous Vehicles, Hydrogen Technologies & Systems, and Microelectronics & Industrial IoT. These value chains were selected as highly dependent on chemicals and non-overlapping with other EC research initiatives. Those Critical Chemicals and Future Innovations are listed in the tables below.

Chapter 3 presents In addition, each so-called factsheet contains roadmaps of actions needed to increase those value chains resilience as well as describes chemicals and the implementation of innovations. Thus, the roadmaps enable the identification and assessment of potential future actions.

Chapter 4 contains a set of key policy recommendations addressed to policy stakeholders. They focus on accelerating the digital and green transformation of the entire chemical industry, and were collected from experts throughout the project.

Finally, the Annex details methodologies and underlying analyses.

Chem4EU Foresight for chemicals : final report 

Posted on: 30/12/2024

Last Edited: 24 days ago

Dariusz Kozdra1

Posted on: 17/12/2024

Last Edited: 24 days ago

4CF The Futures Literacy Company1

4CF The Futures Literacy Company is a consultancy entirely focused on strategic foresight and long-term strategies. For nearly two decades, 4CF has been on the mission to help its clients prepare for an uncertain tomorrow. The Company has executed hundreds of projects for private companies, public institutions and international entities, including the European Commission and its agencies (EUDA, ENISA), FAO, UNFCCC, UNESCO, UNEP and UNDP. 4CF is at the forefront of global innovation, and actively contributes to the development of cutting-edge foresight tools, including 4CF HalnyX (Delphi platform), 4CF Sprawlr, 4CF FLEx.

Posted on: 17/12/2024

Last Edited: a month ago

Foresight on Demand II1

EC framework contract Foresight on Demand 2024-2028

Charting Europe’s R&I Futures Pathways: Responsive Foresight for EU Policymaking in Uncertain Times
Foresight on Demand (FOD) addresses the growing need for quicker and more responsive foresight to inform policymaking in an increasingly turbulent environment. It complements strategic foresight by:
-) Raising and anticipating awareness of future developments, disruptive events, emerging technologies, and their potential broader socio-economic impacts.
-) Stimulating individuals, networks, and organizations to explore novel terrain, trigger “out-of-box” scenario development and foster innovative long-term thinking.
-) Supporting the preparedness and adaptability of long-term policy initiatives from a forward-looking perspective

Background
Already in 2016, the need for a rapid response foresight facility was identified by the SFRI expert group (Strategic Foresight for R&I Policy in Horizon 2020). They emphasized the importance of integrating foresight into European policymaking and complementing long-term strategic foresight with a rapid response mechanism. This would equip the European Commission with the necessary intelligence to swiftly address unexpected developments. In the context of R&I policy, greater flexibility in using foresight is essential to support various policy initiatives, from framework programmes to European partnerships. Higher and longer-term R&I ambitions, such as those in the context of missions, may require revisiting agendas, priorities, and plans in light of new scientific discoveries and socio-economic or geopolitical developments.
Building on the expertise and competence developed during FOD1 (2019-2023), FOD2 (2024-2028) will significantly expand the previous initiative, offering a more comprehensive and adaptable approach to address a broader range of challenges and opportunities.

Client Authorities
The demand for Foresight on Demand affects various European Commission services and other European institutions and agencies involved in policymaking at EU level. Foresight is increasingly important for implementing R&I policies, as large-scale initiatives and ambitious long-term projects require more than traditional strategic planning. They profit from a long-term view on emerging research opportunities and innovation needs. Joint Technology Initiatives and other European partnerships, which pursue long-term agendas, can build on foresight knowledge to anticipate and respond to emerging scientific, technological and socio-economic developments.
Several client authorities, including the European Commission (lead), EEA, ERCEA, FRA, ETF, EUROFUND, EFSA, EMCDDA, ECDC, EISMEA, EASA, OSHA, Global Health EDCTP3, and the Joint Undertakings EU-RAIL and CBE JU, have entered a single framework contract (FWC) for Foresight on Demand. While foresight processes are increasingly integrated into policymaking, the timing requirements for foresight intelligence and sense-making (e.g. signals of change in society, economy, science, and technology) often necessitate a quicker response than what usual foresight activities can provide. THE FOD framework provides the setting and conditions for this rapid foresight response mechanism.

FOD Consortium
The FOD consortium comprises fifteen core partners and five specialised partners, totalling twenty research and technology organisations experienced in foresight. Fourteen of the core partners were also involved in the first period of FOD (2019-2023), while seven new partners joined for the current FOD2 period (2024-2028). The new partners include 4CF The Foresight Company, DLR, TIS, EUNOMIA, RAND Europe, VTT, and Prognos, with 4CF and RAND Europe joining as core partners. The incumbent core partners are Arctik, Fraunhofer ISI, FFRC, IDEA Consult, Insight Foresight Institute, ISINNOVA, Institutul de Prospectiva, Technopolis, 4strat, Technology Centre Prague, Visionary Analytics, and ZSI Center for Social Innovation. The consortium is led by AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. 

Objectives
The framework contract is the basis for the Foresight on Demand (FOD) mechanism and aims at providing quick forward-looking inputs to policymaking by leveraging the best available foresight knowledge. FOD operates on a much shorter timescale complementarily to longer-term foresight activities but relies on extensive ongoing and accomplished foresight work. Access to a wide range of foresight sources and expertise is crucial for fulfilling FOD functions.
Policymakers increasingly face sudden and often surprising events that can quickly escalate secondary policy issues into disruptive ones requiring fast and effective responses. FOD foresight knowledge must be timely and efficient to support decisions related to urgent crises, emerging risks, and opportunities for addressing ongoing policy challenges. FOD aims to offer the broad range of client authorities timely and effective support in uncertain times, and provide forward-looking insights for policy design, planning, and implementation.
Foresight benefits policymaking in various ways, including for example by scanning the horizon for emerging developments and weak signals or by developing scenarios of alternative futures to better understand and to be better prepared for disruptive futures. The FOD service steps in where foresight activities have already been initiated or where there is a need to strengthen foresight capabilities, providing targeted foresight services that respond to emerging demands and potentially relevant developments.

Posted on: 09/12/2024

Last Edited: 2 months ago

Bartosz Frąckowiak1

Posted on: 18/11/2024

Last Edited: 2 months ago

Łukasz Macander1

Posted on: 18/11/2024

Last Edited: 2 months ago

Karol Wasilewski1

Posted on: 18/11/2024

Last Edited: 2 months ago

Kacper Nosarzewski1

Posted on: 18/11/2024

Last Edited: 2 months ago

Norbert Kołos1

Posted on: 18/11/2024

Last Edited: 2 months ago

How will we disgust our descendants

Posted on: 28/10/2024

Last Edited: 3 months ago

How will we disgust our descendants?1

It would be short-sighted to assume that we, as humanity, have reached such a level of maturity that our descendants will not find some aspects of our – apparently civilised – everyday life repulsive and sad.
So we asked 60 futurists from around the world: “What will we disgust our descendants with?
Many of the submitted ideas are already present in public discourse and confirm areas in which we need to change. But we were especially interested in novel barbarisms that humanity is still largely oblivious to.
The resulting infographic shows the futurists’ answers grouped into 93 contemporary barbarisms ranked in a public vote according to how eye-opening they are.

4CF The Futures Literacy Company 

Coordinator

Posted on: 22/10/2024