The third Mutual Learning Event (MLE) of project Eye of Europe took place online on January 21st, 2025. As a Coordination and Support Action, project Eye of Europe aims to enhance the integration of foresight practices into the Research and Innovation (R&I) policy-making across Europe and to nurture a vibrant, cohesive R&I foresight community that contributes significantly, as a collective intelligence, to shaping and guiding policy decisions.

Over forty participants from diverse stakeholder groups joined the event: Eye of Europe partner organizations, representatives from the European Commission, R&I funding agencies, representatives of governmental bodies. Expert presentations of two European and one national foresight exercises showcased diverse practices for integrating foresight results into the R&I policy cycle and formed the basis for vivid discussions in three interactive sessions.

Presentations:

• Project coordinator Radu Gheorghiu (UEFISCDI, Romania) introduced the Eye of Europe project as a social infrastructure supporting the strenghtening of the European foresight community. To this end, Eye of Europe hosts a series of activities: five mutual learning events, eleven pilot foresight activities and two conferences - highlighting the upcoming Futures4Europe conference to be held in Vienna on May 15-16, 2025. Moreover, the project enabled the upgrade of the platform futures4europe.eu to better serve its role as the online home of a vibrant and inclusive European foresight community. Multiple new improvements of the platform were shared in the closing section of the event.
• Moderator of the event Lenka Hebáková (TC Prague, Czech Republic) followed up with an introduction on the event´s aims and agenda.
• Nikos Kastrinos (former EC) shared about the Foresight on Demand project "Foresight towards the Second Strategic Plan of Horizon Europe”, providing insights into how foresight was employed and linked with the policy cycle in the period of HE strategies setting.
• “Megatrends 2050 in a Changing World and their Impact on Portugal” presented by Monica Isfan (PlanAPP, Portugal) showcased Portugal's experience with embedding foresight in the context of strategic planning.
• Klaus Kubeczko (AIT, Austria) and Jürgen Wengel (former EC) shared about the Foresight on Demand project “S&T&I 2050: Science, technology and innovation for ecosystem performance : accelerating sustainability transitions“ on mapping the relationship between emerging trends in science, technology and innovation and ecosystem performance in the context of the European Green Deal. Moreover, the presentation highlighted the project's engagement of a wide range of STI experts in a Dynamic Argumentative Delphi survey.

The following MLE3 highlights emerged from the discussion:

• Forward-looking activities face a range of challenges in the era of uncertainty,
• It is necessary to be very clear and convincing in the way what foresight can offer for policy making,
• Forward-looking activities can support policy makers with the discovery, new trends follow-up and weak signals exploration
to keep them linked with current and new policy initiatives,
• Using variety of methods and tools to create visions, scenarios and roadmaps to have an impact on policy and to present
foresight as an important environment where all groups of stakeholders (governmental bodies, ministries, industry, business,
academia, NGOs. citizens) can form the process together,
• The strategic conversations provided in a transparent and inclusive way represent the added value of the foresight activities.
• Public engagement in the strategies setting is the crucial step for the legitimacy of the policy making process. The need for
more openness concerns R&I agenda setting, governance and implementation,
• Many different groups of actors play an important role in shaping the future,
• It is very necessary to monitor areas of disruption in terms of their impact on society, the economy and the environment,
• There is continuous need to incorporate new insights of the progress, new potential options and challenges into the R&I
policy cycle.

This event is the third in a series of five MLEs planned in the project; the following event will be held beginning April 2025 in Budapest. All Eye of Europe MLEs are organized by Technology Centre Prague (TC), Eye of Europe partner and key Czech national think tank and academia based NGO with a rich experience with knowledge-based policy making support and (participatory as well as expert based) foresight activities.

Join industry leaders, sustainability experts, and educational innovators in a dynamic online conference organized by the EU Project SF4S to address the critical skills and capabilities needed to drive Europe’s green growth agenda. Gain actionable insights on overcoming sustainability challenges and explore cutting-edge training modules designed for a green growth future.

AGENDA (CET)

12:00-12:05 Welcome & Overview of SF4S project
Moderator: Amos Taylor

12:05-12:20 Challenges: What do industries need to lead green growth?
Speakers: Toni Ahlqvist (U of Turku) & Johanna Vallistu (Taltech )

12:20-12:45 Practices & Methods: What are the lessons learned from industry foresight projects?
Speakers: Henning Breuer (Media University Berlin) & Pierre Plouzennec (Michelin)

12:45-13:10 Training for the Future: How can curricula be adapted for vocational and higher education?
Speakers: Rene Rohrbeck (EDHEC) & Theresa Hanning (author of Pantopia and socially critical science fiction)

13:10-13:15 Closing

As a partner of the Eye of Europe Project, Helenos will implement its second pilot on Fashion Futuring, investigating potential links among objects, fiction, culture, and systems to understand how the values of the systems/societies can shape the future of fashion.

Date: 14/04/2025
Time: TBA
Location: MOMus- Museum of Modern Art, Thessaloniki, Greece
Format: In-person
Audience: Domain Experts


Context
Have you ever wondered why people in Ancient Egypt (3100-30 BCE) wore hair wigs? Or why samurai have been associated with kimonos, while feminine full skirts are linked with the post-war America of the ‘50s? There are numerous examples of fashion items that represent specific periods and places. But what does that signify? In ancient Egypt, men wearing hair wigs was considered an honor and a symbol of equalization to women, as women were regarded as wise and sacred.

Similarly, in Tokugawa Japan (1603 – 1868), when samurai lived, clothing indicated one’s rank and role within the highly structured feudal society, while in post-war America, fashion was influenced by the idealized image of the suburban family, emphasizing domesticity and traditional gender roles. The common space of all three examples is that - throughout the centuries - fashion has served people and societies as a way of self-expression, a sign of social status, also revealing the prevailing social norms and beliefs.

Today, our highly complex and uncertain world requires strategic tools that will help us create new sustainable development trajectories. Fashion not only reveals unique and collective identities, norms, and ethics but is also associated with environmental issues. It is one of the largest pollutant industries, prompting a shift in the way we produce and consume fashion items. How might the climate crisis change our attitudes, and how does this impact the fashion industry?


What is Fashion Futuring?
Fashion Futuring is an innovative approach that investigates potential links among objects, fiction, culture, and systems to understand how the values of the systems/societies can shape the future of fashion. It suggests a significant shift in the future of fashion approach, moving away from short-term trends and financial forecasting as primary factors for fashion production, towards sustainable, more humane means of fashion producing and consuming.


The pilot
The upcoming pilot in April is targeted towards domain experts in fashion & foresight. The workshop consists of a 7-stage methodology based on Garcia (2023), where participants will be encouraged to share their personal experiences and values, co-create a fictional future, and work together to design a fictional fashion item based on this future. The workshop will utilize various foresight methods, primarily core design, what-if scenario development, and strategic thinking.

That will be the second pilot in Fashion Futuring implemented by Helenos. The first pilot was held in January 2025 in Thessaloniki, involving local citizens. This upcoming workshop aims to contribute to a collective knowledge pool, helping to create a comprehensive understanding of the future of fashion and sustainability.

This workshop will be implemented in English.

For more information, please contact the following emails: 

stavros.mantzanakis@helenosconsulting.eu (Stavros Mantzanakis)

eliza.savvopoulou@helenosconsulting.eu (Eliza Savvopoulou)

Some studies have recently indicated that the number of countries classified as democracies are decreasing whereas authoritarian regimes are at the forefront. Also, within our societies we are increasingly witnessing disturbing signs of violent confrontation on the streets and verbal hate speech in the so called social media. In some European states we are witnessing policy-makers and citizens embracing elements of illiberal democracy and authoritarianism. 

How do these trends impact the future of democracy in the EU, in Europe? What are the perspectives of living together in a united Europe that is facing severe pressure from such megatrends as the climate crisis, military conflict and migration from inflicted countries, big tech controlling social media? How can we ensure that the project of democracy in the context of European peace after WWII will continue in the future? For the next 60 years? How can we give other actors - such as nature and future generations - a voice, which we have neglected/failed to do so far ? What aspects for research and innovation policy arise from these developments?

On behalf of the “Eye of Europe” project, we are offering a half-day online workshop for a maximum of 60 participants. The workshop aims to shed light on the questions "What makes democracy last? What could it look like in the future"? To do so, the workshop approach relies on a historical, empirical-analytical point of view, contrasted by a look into science fiction literature (see book titles above) that deals with democratic governance structures of the future. 

This is one event in a series of “Eye of Europe” pilot workshops taking place during 2025, aimed at exploring various futures and their implications for R&I policy.

The workshop is open to a wide audience - experts and non-experts - interested in questions of future democracies. The workshop also wants to give EU projects dedicated to the study of democracies a chance to present their work to a wider audience and connect with the futures4europe community.

The workshop is free of charge.

FCT, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management and the European Commission (Directorate-General for Research and Innovation) promoted, on December 5, a workshop with the active participation of representatives from all sectors of the National Research and Innovation System (R&I), and representatives of European states participating in this MLE-Mutual Learning Exercise, in order to discuss and agree on possible guidelines and joint work with a view to an institutionalization of capabilities and the creation of foresight communities in this system.

The following day, December 6th, FCT hosted the meeting of this network that has, besides Portugal, representatives from Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Romania and Slovenia.   

The workshop "Portugal in 2050 from the Perspective of Science and the Acceleration of Technological Development", organized by the FCT as part of the Planning and Foresight Services Network of the Public Administration(RePLAN), aimed to deepen reflection and discussion on the nine megatrends identified in the brochure "Megatrends 2050 - A changing world: impacts on Portugal - A brief introduction", and is part of the collaborative work underway to produce the final report, which is due to be released during 2025.

Purpose

Building on an exciting collaboration at Resilience Frontiers, on the success of a previous edition of this Futures Literacy course, the UNESCO Chair at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences and One Resilient Earth are offering once more a certified in-depth online course addressing the critical challenge of fostering transformative action in response to the climate emergency.

This course will enable students and professionals in the sustainability field, as well as individuals aspiring to dive into climate change challenges, to deepen their Futures Literacy skills so as to grow their own resilience and creativity. It will also provide practical advice and tools to mobilize Futures Literacy in professional contexts, and design transformative climate action.

Last, the course will build participants’ capacities to both innovate and embrace emergence, which are essential to designing and implementing impactful and regenerative initiatives today for a just, climate-positive, climate-resilient and biodiverse world.

Target audience

Target audience is students and professionals in the sustainability field, as well as individuals aspiring to dive into current climate change challenges. In case you would like to check if you are a good match for this course, feel free to contact us: contact@oneresilientearth.org.

Format

The course will take place online from 2.00 to 6.30 pm CET from Tuesday 14 January to Thursday 16 January, 2025 and will be offered to a small group of climate-curious individuals, sustainability students and sustainability professionals. It will be interactive, participatory, iterative and tailored to the needs of participants.

In order to enrich our imagination regarding the future, deepen connection to ourselves, and unleash creativity, One Resilient Earth will mobilize artworks, with a focus on multimedia and installation arts.

Feedback from previous participants

'I found the overall experience to be very informative, engaging, and eye-opening. As someone who is passionate about reimagining the future and helping people engage with the future, this training was exactly what I was looking for. I would love to delve further into Futures Literacy and further engage with it in my personal and professional life. I would highly recommend this training to anyone and hope that I can bring it into everything that I do.'

'The training was immersive, providing an experiential introduction to futures literacy. This design created an experience of the process which then made theoretical exploration more meaningful. The facilitators held the process skilfully and displayed depth of understanding. The use of technology was excellent, with the Miro board providing a map of the overall process and means of collaboration in the learning process.The climate action focus was engaging and the arts angle added an interesting angle to consider ways of nudging systemic transformation.'

Structure of the course

The course will enable participants to acquire an in-depth understanding of Futures Literacy, as a capability that facilitates the development of critical new skills to respond to the climate emergency. Futures Literacy will be taught through a Futures Literacy Lab on the future of climate action. The Lab will be informed by presentations of climate change projections and of recent trends in terms of climate action. Different climate scenarios and challenges identified will be discussed with the support of artworks through interactive sessions. The objectives of the course are to:

- Acquire an understanding of the Futures Literacy framework, and of different ways of mobilizing the future for transformative climate action;
- Adopt new approaches to building climate resilience, and embracing emergence in innovative climate-positive designs;
- Experiment with art as a channel for inner change and creativity growth.

Registration

We offer different fee categories to enable access and diversity in the group (click on ‘tickets’ for details). Participation in the different fee categories are capped, and we invite you to register early. All benefits made through this course support One Resilient Earth’s portfolio of regenerative activities.

In case you need a scholarship, cannot attend the course at this time, have any question and/or would like to hear about later opportunities, please follow our Eventbrite account and/or contact us: contact@oneresilientearth.org.

Research

A survey proposed at the end of this course will help gather information for research activities undertaken by Hanze University. The contributions of all participants to the survey are welcome.

Follow up

Three-month after the workshop, the teams at UNESCO Chair at Hanze University and One Resilient Earth will organize a follow-up group call to discuss different cases and scenarios shared by participants who have applied their newly acquired Futures Literacy skills in their workplace . This dialogue will provide an opportunity to deepen Futures Literacy skills, and to learn collectively from the experience of mobilizing Futures Literacy when designing and implementing climate action in the workplace.

***

More infomation about this event is available at the registration link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/futures-literacy-arts-for-transformative-climate-action-tickets-1011147077127

Foresight on Demand (FOD) is a rapid foresight response mechanism organised in a framework contract, and aims at providing quick forward-looking inputs to policymaking by leveraging the best available foresight knowledge. It addresses the growing need for quicker and more responsive foresight to inform policymaking in an increasingly turbulent environment.

Representatives of all twenty FOD partner organisations and representatives of different client authorities met in person during a lunch-to-lunch meeting in Brussels taking place at IDEA consult premises from October 10 to October 11, 2024.

47 people participated in the meeting that focussed on getting to know all FOD partners, especially the new partner organisations of FOD II, gaining insights on expectations of client authorities, as well as on updating the FOD consortium on ongoing and upcoming requests and discussing the FOD service provision processes. The meeting offered the opportunity to exchange in group discussions, during the FOD partner art gallery, where partners presented their organisations and services through art pieces and creative work, and informally during lunch, coffee and at the social dinner.

The meeting revealed inspiring insights on lessons learned during FOD I (2019-2023), on promoting the FOD framework for potential projects, as well as on emerging topics potentially relevant to the current FOD II (2024-2028) period.

We will give you a short introduction to Futures4All and explain how you can use this platform to connect, create, inspire, and be inspired. At the end of the event, you will also have the opportunity to ask questions.

Every month we discuss a different emerging topic and invite experts to start the discussion. Afterwards, the community has the opportunity to engage in the discussion.

Topic in April: AI and Transhumanism - How machines will change our lives in the future?

Speakers: 

• Fabian J. G. Westerheide (Founder & CEO of Rise of AI)
• Ana Chubinidze (AI Governance, AI Policy Advisor, CEO @AdalanAI & Founder @AIGI)
• Samira Khan ( Director, Citizenship + Market Dev, AI & Sustainability at Microsoft)
• Elisa Czerski (Founder and CEO at N Robotics )

Each month we discuss a different emerging topic and invite experts to open the discussion in a panel setup. Afterwards, the community has the opportunity to engage in the discussion via a QnA or Fishbowl session, depending on the topic and the number of participants.

If you're interested in becoming a speaker for one of our other events, please send us an email at info@futures4europe.org

In this talk, Adam will share stories behind the scenes of his work using futures to engage youth in development projects and policy making.

In this talk, Adam will share stories behind the scenes of his work using futures to engage youth in development projects and policy making. His experience can provide guidance and inspiration to encourage urgent investment in young people's human, social and cultural capital, using futures as a framework for action.

About Adam Sharpe

Adam Sharpe is a youth development specialist and futurist who is using the future to engage intergenerational groups in development policies and practices, maximizing their contribution to a better future for all. Adam founded youth futures think tank Futurely , co-founded the online futures learning platform Metafuture School and consults for multinational organisations including the United Nations and the Asian Development Bank. He is a member of the Association of Professional Futurists, sits on the working committee of the Asia Pacific Futures Network.

The Futures Wheel is a form of structured brainstorming that helps participants visualize the impact of trends or emerging signals.
Registration is closed

In this workshop, we will use the method Futures Wheel to explore the following futures topics:

• Smart Spaces
• Climate Change
• Global Commons
• Social Confrontation
• Criminal and Lawful Activities
• Transhumanist Revolution
• General AI
• Alternative Energy Sources

The participants can decide between different breakout rooms to discuss the impacts of the topics on the near and far future.

Purpose of the method
The Futures Wheel is a form of structured brainstorming that helps participants visualize how and to what extent trends or events might impact the organization, society or strategy area in question. It is particularly useful for identifying and mapping connections and causalities. It also helps us think far into the future as it is a very flexible, yet powerful tool.

Read more: https://millennium-project.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/06-Futures-Wheel.pdf

During this event, we will shortly introduce new platform features and how to participate before we open the conversation and provide the opportunity for 1:1 networking. We believe that in current times of social distancing and uncertainty, these human connections inspire our thinking.

During this event, we will shortly introduce new platform features and how to participate before we open the conversation and provide the opportunity for 1:1 networking. We believe that in current times of social distancing and uncertainty, these human connections inspire our thinking.

The 1:1 networking sessions enable all participants to simply exchange their field of expertise or start an interesting discussion around one of the topics of our future. We will provide some stimulating questions during the sessions and encourage you to join our Open Space group afterwards to continue growing your network.

To RSVP become a member of our community, so you can interact with others on the platform.

This event has a group. You’re welcome to join the group once you register for the event.

Todays topic will be in alignment of the #EUGreenWeek 2022: EU GREEN DEAL - MAKE IT REAL. Together with DIGIPRIME and EFPF, we will take a closer look at digital technology to boost a more resillient economy!
DIGIPRIME and EFPF are two Horizon 2020 projects focused on developing digital platforms.

As the Horizon 2020 research program becomes Horizon Europe, what better time to witness how great ideas turned into real projects? LOOPS will be the opportunity to show what cutting-edge research has been produced, and which changes it can bring to our communities. For those who are not familiar with it, LOOPS is a live webinar series committed to spotlighting innovation in the field of circular economy and sustainability.

Todays topic will be in alignment of the #EUGreenWeek 2022: EU GREEN DEAL - MAKE IT REAL. Together with DIGIPRIME and EFPF, we will take a closer look at digital technology to boost a more resillient economy!

DIGIPRIME and EFPF, are two Horizon 2020 projects focused on developing digital platforms.

Speakers of today will be Marcello Colledani from DIGIPRIME and Alexandros Nizamis from EFPF.

The Secretary General of Veltha, Luca Polidory will be the host of todays episode.

Check out DIGIPRIME here: https://www.digiprime.eu/

Check out EFPF here: https://www.efpf.org/

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9AK7SpmR34 

How to build foresight capacities within the public sector - join our knowledge sharing session, where Alexandre presents results and insights from past foresight projects, as well as perspectives for the future(s) of foresight in Czechia.

In the last 2 years, České priority delivered foresight studies for various clients within the Czech public sector (Office of the Government, Municipality of Prague) and is currently setting up its own project aiming at building foresight capacities within the public sector. This session will thus cover the results and insights from past foresight projects, as well as perspectives for the future(s) of foresight in Czechia.

About Alexandre Reznikow

Alexandre Reznikow is a researcher and policy analyst in the independent think-tank "Czech priorities" (České priority ), which aims at promoting and supporting evidence-informed decision making in the Czech public sector.

This conference brings twenty industry leaders and experts together to spotlight the current and future best business practices propelled by AI and other cognitive technologies. Register here: https://swisscognitive.ch/ai-events/ai-the-global-green-deal/#1625664318088-c59c36f9-fdd4

In Brief

There are no organisations and industries which should not put green business practices on the top of their agenda. This conference brings twenty industry leaders and experts together to spotlight the current and future best business practices propelled by AI and other cognitive technologies, paving our path to a future with a societal welfare and blooming economies on a healthy planet.

In Detail

Stemming out from the idea of the European Green Deal initiated by the European Commission, this conference escalates the challenge to the global agenda. In our globalized world where everything is interconnected, best practices have no boarders – neither geographically nor in time. How we run our businesses has a crucial impact not only on immediate business performance but also on people, societies, and economies worldwide, as well as on our fragile planet, both today and in the future.

It is our top responsibility today to find the most innovative practices and applications that pave our ways into a sustainable future. Emerging technologies play a fundamental role in this – making processes more effective and products greener while minimizing waste and lowering the use & costs of resources.

Main Focus Points – Insights into best business practices featured by AI – Technological Social Responsibility – The need and potentials of cognitive technology innovations – Challenges, successes, failures, solutions, potentials.

Register here: https://swisscognitive.ch/ai-events/ai-the-global-green-deal/#1625664318088-c59c36f9-fdd4 

Get your ticket now - For the first 100% online Summit for all climate champions, decision makers and procurement leaders, driving climate transformation!

The decade for climate transformation is now!

We all know it: Our world is changing rapidly. And we also know: We hold in our hands the tools to turn this crisis into a positive climate transformation. If we focus on real CO₂ reduction, collaboration and intelligent business decisions, we can use the incredible opportunities today to drive the decarbonisation of whole systems and economies tomorrow.

What awaits you?

Together with scientists, politics and practitioners we are discussing meaningful climate actions to decarbonise companies and their supply chains. As collaborative CLIMATE Community, we share and gain insights into the climate transformation of companies, their measures for climate maturity as well as best practices to make CO₂ reduction possible along the value chain.

Through a mix of interactive panels, workshops and an online fair, you will experience inspiring conversations with world class innovators as well as hands-on working sessions to accelerate your own climate impact. The multi-channel format allows you to create your own agenda , to connect with other participants and to set up personal meetings with climate leaders. The whole summit takes place live and in English.

Who takes part?

Decision makers, procurement leaders and climate officers from companies that have embraced climate transformation and work on the decarbonisation of their company and supply chain. You will soon find the first speakers here: climatesummit.de. Get your ticket here: https://climatesummit2022.eventbrite.de

How can I take part?

▲ You are driving the climate transformation in your company or along the supply chain and want to learn how to truly take climate actions to decarbonise your entire value chain? Awesome, we cannot wait for you to join! Get your Ticket now.   

• Our ticket categories are based on the size of your company and are sold on the basis of trust. The link to access the summit as well as further info material will be send to your email address, shortly before the summit.   
• The summit is designed to empower company leaders, climate officers, purchasers and everyone implementing the climate transformation of its company from within - aiming to take smart, climate relevant business decisions.  
• Each ticket helps cover the costs of the summit and supports selected climate projects. 

▲ You are a leader from a climate pioneering company, aiming to share your challenges and learnings? Or you are an innovator, who empowers other companies to reduce emissions and to decarbonise their supply chain? We are excited to get to know you! Write as at: kontakt@theclimatechoice.com

▲ You are a climate enthusiast or media rockstar and you like to support the #CTS2022 as a partner? We are happy to work with you. Please contact as at: kontakt@theclimatechoice.com

▲ THE CLIMATE CHOICE organises the #CTS2022, already the third edition of the ClimateSummit.de, as part of its mission to empower every company to become a climate champion. As ClimateTech company from Berlin we provide the SaaS platform for the decarbonisation of companies and their supply chains.

Register on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.de/e/climate-transformation-summit-2022-tickets-224030510287

For 2022 Rise of AI will return to its roots. On two stages and various interactive formats, our 30+ speakers will cover the following topics which are stated below. Register here: https://hopin.com/events/riseofai-conference-2022/registration

Since 2015, the annual Rise of AI conference connects AI experts, decision-makers, opinion leaders and game changers to discuss Artificial Intelligence for society, politics and economy.

For 2022 Rise of AI will return to its roots. On two stages and various interactive formats, our 30+ speakers will cover the following topics and more:

• Is AI evil?
• Can AI heal the World?
• AI is happening now, deal with it or die
• Large AI Models from a Global Perspective
• Challenges of the European AI ecosystem
• Social responsibility of media in times of AI
• Trust in AI - is your AI compliant and explainable?
• The new AI - how we make AI social, creative and climate-friendly
• 25-year anniversary: the fastest way of computing all possible metaverses and its consequences for physics and philosophy.

Attendance live in person in Berlin only by invitation (use this Typeform to apply for an invite).

Register online via this link: https://hopin.com/events/riseofai-conference-2022/registration 

FREE Webinar and Networking Event
EU Missions provide new funding opportunities for impact oriented research and innovation projects in Horizon Europe, the world’s largest research and innovation programme.

EU Missions provide new funding opportunities for impact oriented research and innovation projects in Horizon Europe, the world’s largest research and innovation programme. They

• address grand societal challenges by applying new forms of governance and collaboration, 
• aim to mobilise and activate public and private actors to create real and lasting impact, 
• engage with citizens to boost societal uptake of new solutions and make it easier for them to understand the value of investments in research and innovation.

A broad variety of tools allow for the co-creation of solutions, technologies and products together with different societal groups and individual citizens. In the EU funded project LIVING INNOVATION [https://www.living-innovation.net/explore], we further developed, tested and documented several of them. Now, we would like to share our insights and initiate new partnerships.  

Attend our Webinar and Networking event and 

• exchange experiences on how co-creation, responsible and inclusive innovation can be integrated in research and innovation projects, 
• gain insights into the pros and cons of individual tools, such as Responsible Design Thinking, 
• initiate new collaborations for your next project and be part of a powerful network.  

Meet our experts:

🔶 Andre Martinuzzi, Head of the Institute for Managing Sustainability and Coordinator of the LIVING INNOVATION project: "Responsible Innovation means to co-develop solutions with and for the people."

🔶 Florian Findler, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Managing Sustainability: "Co-creation needs a clear compass to gain socially desirable outcomes."

🔶 Ursula Kopp, Design Thinking expert and facilitator of national and international stakeholder dialogues: "We integrated key aspects of responsibility and sustainability into design-thinking with a sound scientific basis."

🔶 Anja Grüll, PhD candidate at Vienna University of Economics and Business: "We developed a toolbox for inclusive innovation that allows blind and visually impaired people to participate fully in innovation."

Learn more about the event and sign up on Linkedin .

During this event, we will shortly introduce new platform features and how to participate before we open the conversation and provide the opportunity for 1:1 networking. We believe that in current times of social distancing and uncertainty, these human connections inspire our thinking.

During this event, we will shortly introduce new platform features and how to participate before we open the conversation and provide the opportunity for 1:1 networking. We believe that in current times of social distancing and uncertainty, these human connections inspire our thinking.

The 1:1 networking sessions enable all participants to simply exchange their field of expertise or start an interesting discussion around one of the topics of our future. We will provide some stimulating questions during the sessions and encourage you to join our Open Space group afterwards to continue growing your network.

To RSVP become a member of our community, so you can interact with others on the platform.

This event has a group. You’re welcome to join the group once you register for the event.

We focus on alternative futures of Europe, on regimes of stewardship of land and sea and address the role of ownership, access and use rights in rural areas (cities excluded), multiple uses of spaces (both land and sea), biodiversity, food (both aquaculture, fisheries and agriculture), energy (use of renewables), raw materials (mining etc.), carbon removal and storage, adaptation to climate change. While the challenges are global, they are addressed especially from the European research and innovation policy perspective.

Background and aim

The European Commission, DG RTD, has commissioned foresight projects to serve as a source of inspiration for the adjustment of existing and the identification of novel directions that Horizon Europe may want to take from 2025 onwards through its 2nd Strategic Plan.

This workshop brings together work from different projects on topics associated with potential disruptions and will aim to tease out implications for R&I policy and its contributions to important emerging challenges and opportunity spaces.

The aim of the workshop is to discuss the explorations of the future in a number of dynamic fields within a community of R&I foresight experts and representatives from European and national R&I policy organisations. The discussion will aim to prepare and strengthen a broader engagement effort through the online platform futures4europe.eu.

Participants:

• Experts from the European Commission and the Member States and Associated Countries’ R&I policy agencies
• Research and subject matter experts
• Members of Futures4Europe.eu
• Public who is interested in sharing insights and shaping Europe's future

You're invited to participate in the event - simply click on the RSVP button below and add your details to save your spot. The details for the event link will be sent approximately one week before the event via email.

We focus on alternative futures of Europe, on regimes of stewardship of land and sea and address the role of ownership, access and use rights in rural areas (cities excluded), multiple uses of spaces (both land and sea), biodiversity, food (both aquaculture, fisheries and agriculture), energy (use of renewables), raw materials (mining etc.), carbon removal and storage, adaptation to climate change. While the challenges are global, they are addressed especially from the European research and innovation policy perspective.

We focus on alternative futures of Europe, on regimes of stewardship of land and sea and address the role of ownership, access and use rights in rural areas (cities excluded), multiple uses of spaces (both land and sea), biodiversity, food (both aquaculture, fisheries and agriculture), energy (use of renewables), raw materials (mining etc.), carbon removal and storage, adaptation to climate change. While the challenges are global, they are addressed especially from the European research and innovation policy perspective.

Join us on May 24, 2023 at 10 am for the online relaunch of Futures4Europe.eu and find out what's new! Together with members from our community, we will take a look at exciting new features and ways to interact on futures4europe.eu.

Check out our program for more details!

Root causes and structural conditions of social confrontations (ideological divisions, discrimination, inequalities in access to resources, environmental issues, etc.) both online and offline.

The evolving complexity of global challenges is increasingly affecting the steering of European Research and Innovation which aims at addressing important present and future societal concerns. The idea of ‘watching futures’ to anticipate future possibilities and analyse the consequences of current choices to inform and shape a forward-looking EU R&I policy is continuously gaining ground.

In this light, as part of the ‘European R&I foresight and public engagement for Horizon Europe’ study launched by the European Commission in connection to the Horizon Europe Foresight Network, a series of online workshops will take place during the Spring and early Summer of 2023.

These workshops, which will run for two hours each, will discuss insights stemming from thematic policy briefs compiled by expert panels, addressing possible future scenarios for critical issues (i.e., social confrontations, use and management of land and sea, science for policy, etc.). Each workshop will feature experts from the panels who developed the policy brief, guest speakers from relevant EU R&I projects and policy-makers, and will involve extensive engagement with participants.

We organise a series of three workshops: the first two are devoted to devise scenarios, while the third one will derive policy implications.

On behalf of the European Commission, DG Research and Innovation, the “Foresight on Demand” consortium is conducting a foresight-like project “European R&I foresight and public engagement for Horizon Europe”. Eight deep-dive studies are to be conducted in 2023, leading to policy briefs to support European Union and national policy-makers. One of these topics is the “Futures of interpenetration of criminal and lawful economic activities” with a time horizon of 2040.

Please express your interest to contribute to building scenarios on the “Futures of interpenetration of criminal and lawful economic activities” by filling in the form below. This Deep Dive project considers – among other issues – the possibility of identifying, differentiating, and controlling criminal and lawful economic activities, the relevant trend and drivers shaping the possible futures for the interpenetration of these activities, the level of control technically feasible and socially and economically desirable to fight the interpenetration of criminal economic activities. The policy brief will highlight the major implications for EU and national policy-makers, with an emphasis on research and innovation policies.

We organise a series of three workshops: the first two of those are devoted to devise scenarios, while the third one would derive policy implications:

- the 1st scenario WS is to be held from 10:00 to 13:00 on 12 June 2023,

- the 2nd scenario WS is to be held from 16:30 to 19:30 on 26 June 2023,

- the policy implications WS is to be held in September (tba).

Stewardship of land and sea, including access and usage rights in rural regions, use of land and sea space, preservation of biodiversity, and sourcing of energy and raw materials.

The evolving complexity of global challenges is increasingly affecting the steering of European Research and Innovation which aims at addressing important present and future societal concerns. The idea of ‘watching futures’ to anticipate future possibilities and analyse the consequences of current choices to inform and shape a forward-looking EU R&I policy is continuously gaining ground.

In this light, as part of the ‘European R&I foresight and public engagement for Horizon Europe’ study launched by the European Commission in connection to the Horizon Europe Foresight Network, a series of online workshops will take place during the Spring and early Summer of 2023.

These workshops, which will run for two hours each, will discuss insights stemming from thematic policy briefs compiled by expert panels, addressing possible future scenarios for critical issues (i.e., social confrontations, use and management of land and sea, science for policy, etc.). Each workshop will feature experts from the panels who developed the policy brief, guest speakers from relevant EU R&I projects and policy-makers, and will involve extensive engagement with participants.

Earlier this fall, we invited foresight professionals to participate in the Nordic foresight survey. We wanted to find people interested in the creation of the Nordic Foresight Network, hear their thoughts and then start the formal creation. We received many replies. Thank you. Now it is time to present the results and take the next steps toward building collaboration.


Wecome to online event via MS Teams on February 6th from 10:30am to 12:00 EET where we will also get to discuss the formal creation: desired outcomes, ways of working etc.

Register here before February 3th and be part of shaping a collaborative future for foresight across the Nordics.

Feel free also to share the invitation with other foresight professionals.

You can read more about the Nordic foresight initiative here.

Looking forward to meet you!

Futures Finland and Futures Sweden

Trends that are likely to shape the ecosystem of science advice to policy in Europe in the future and their impacts

The evolving complexity of global challenges is increasingly affecting the steering of European Research and Innovation which aims at addressing important present and future societal concerns. The idea of ‘watching futures’ to anticipate future possibilities and analyse the consequences of current choices to inform and shape a forward-looking EU R&I policy is continuously gaining ground.

In this light, as part of the ‘European R&I foresight and public engagement for Horizon Europe’ study launched by the European Commission in connection to the Horizon Europe Foresight Network, a series of online workshops will take place during the Spring and early Summer of 2023.

These workshops, which will run for two hours each, will discuss insights stemming from thematic policy briefs compiled by expert panels, addressing possible future scenarios for critical issues (i.e., social confrontations, use and management of land and sea, science for policy, etc.). Each workshop will feature experts from the panels who developed the policy brief, guest speakers from relevant EU R&I projects and policy-makers, and will involve extensive engagement with participants. 

We organise a series of three workshops: the first two are devoted to devise scenarios, while the third one will derive policy implications.

On behalf of the European Commission, DG Research and Innovation, the “Foresight on Demand” consortium is conducting a foresight-like project “European R&I foresight and public engagement for Horizon Europe”. Eight deep-dive studies are to be conducted in 2023, leading to policy briefs to support European Union and national policy-makers. One of these topics is the “Futures of interpenetration of criminal and lawful economic activities” with a time horizon of 2040.

Please express your interest to contribute to building scenarios on the “Futures of interpenetration of criminal and lawful economic activities” by filling in the form below. This Deep Dive project considers – among other issues – the possibility of identifying, differentiating, and controlling criminal and lawful economic activities, the relevant trend and drivers shaping the possible futures for the interpenetration of these activities, the level of control technically feasible and socially and economically desirable to fight the interpenetration of criminal economic activities. The policy brief will highlight the major implications for EU and national policy-makers, with an emphasis on research and innovation policies.

We organise a series of three workshops: the first two of those are devoted to devise scenarios, while the third one will derive policy implications:

• the 1st scenario WS is to be held from 10:00 to 13:00 on 12 June 2023,
• the 2nd scenario WS is to be held from 16:30 to 19:30 on 26 June 2023,
• the policy implications WS is to be held in September (tba).

We organise a series of four workshops: the first three are devoted to devise scenarios, while the fourth one will derive policy implications.

On behalf of the European Commission, DG Research and Innovation, the “Foresight on Demand” consortium is conducting a foresight-like project “European R&I foresight and public engagement for Horizon Europe”. Eight deep-dive studies are to be conducted in 2023, leading to policy briefs to support European Union and national policy-makers. One of these topics is the “Futures of interpenetration of criminal and lawful economic activities” with a time horizon of 2040.

Please express your interest to contribute to building scenarios on the “Futures of interpenetration of criminal and lawful economic activities” by filling in the form below. This Deep Dive project considers – among other issues – the possibility of identifying, differentiating, and controlling criminal and lawful economic activities, the relevant trend and drivers shaping the possible futures for the interpenetration of these activities, the level of control technically feasible and socially and economically desirable to fight the interpenetration of criminal economic activities. The policy brief will highlight the major implications for EU and national policy-makers, with an emphasis on research and innovation policies.

We organise a series of four workshops: the first three of those are devoted to devise scenarios, while the fourth one will derive policy implications:

• the 1st scenario WS is to be held from 10:00 to 13:00 on 12 June 2023,
• the 2nd scenario WS is to be held from 16:30 to 19:30 on 26 June 2023,
• the 3rd scenario WS is to be held from 16:00 to 18:00 on 31 July 2023,
• the policy implications WS is to be held from 16:00 to 18:00 on 4 September 2023.

We organise a series of four workshops: the first three are devoted to devise scenarios, while the fourth one will derive policy implications.

On behalf of the European Commission, DG Research and Innovation, the “Foresight on Demand” consortium is conducting a foresight-like project “European R&I foresight and public engagement for Horizon Europe”. Eight deep-dive studies are to be conducted in 2023, leading to policy briefs to support European Union and national policy-makers. One of these topics is the “Futures of interpenetration of criminal and lawful economic activities” with a time horizon of 2040.

Please express your interest to contribute to building scenarios on the “Futures of interpenetration of criminal and lawful economic activities” by filling in the form below. This Deep Dive project considers – among other issues – the possibility of identifying, differentiating, and controlling criminal and lawful economic activities, the relevant trend and drivers shaping the possible futures for the interpenetration of these activities, the level of control technically feasible and socially and economically desirable to fight the interpenetration of criminal economic activities. The policy brief will highlight the major implications for EU and national policy-makers, with an emphasis on research and innovation policies.

We organise a series of four workshops: the first three of those are devoted to devise scenarios, while the fourth one will derive policy implications:

• the 1st scenario WS is to be held from 10:00 to 13:00 on 12 June 2023,
• the 2nd scenario WS is to be held from 16:30 to 19:30 on 26 June 2023,
• the 3rd scenario WS is to be held from 16:00 to 18:00 on 31 July 2023,
• the policy implications WS is to be held from 16:00 to 18:00 on 4 September 2023.

We organise a series of three workshops: the first two are devoted to devise scenarios, while the third one will derive policy implications.

Alongside digitalisation and automation trends, the shift towards greener and more sustainable economies is a game changer in EU labour markets. Grounded in long-term transformative trends spanning several decades, the green transitions are picking up speed. The resulting changes in skill needs will have impacts far beyond the key occupations driving them, affecting all economic sectors. An important challenge for the coming years is accelerating up- and reskilling so that people have the green skills to thrive in greener jobs.

In this workshop, we seek to develop scenarios for the future of green skills and jobs. The series is part of the "European R&I foresight and public engagement for Horizon Europe" project. It supports the work of the Horizon Europe Foresight Network and provides intelligence and supports the development of a European R&I foresight community.

We organise a series of three workshops: the first two are devoted to devise scenarios, while the third one will derive policy implications.

Alongside digitalisation and automation trends, the shift towards greener and more sustainable economies is a game changer in EU labour markets. Grounded in long-term transformative trends spanning several decades, the green transitions are picking up speed. The resulting changes in skill1 needs will have impacts far beyond the key occupations driving them, affecting all economic sectors. An important challenge for the coming years is accelerating up- and reskilling so that people have the green skills to thrive in greener jobs.
In this workshop, we seek to develop scenarios for the future of green skills and jobs. The series is part of the "European R&I foresight and public engagement for Horizon Europe" project. It supports the work of the Horizon Europe Foresight Network and provides intelligence and supports the development of a European R&I foresight community.

We organise a series of three workshops: the first two are devoted to devise scenarios, while the third one will derive policy implications.

We work towards antecipating possible scenarios for Europe in 2040 with regard to big business of high-tech industries. As we explore the futures of Big Tech and the implications to Europe there is a number of driver and buffer actors, factors and sectors to take into account.

The series is part of the "European R&I foresight and public engagement for Horizon Europe" project. It supports the work of the Horizon Europe Foresight Network and provides intelligence and supports the development of a European R&I foresight community.

We organise a series of three workshops: the first two are devoted to devise scenarios, while the third one will derive policy implications.

We work towards antecipating possible scenarios for Europe in 2040 with regard to big business of high-tech industries. As we explore the futures of Big Tech and the implications to Europe there is a number of driver and buffer actors, factors and sectors to take into account.

The series is part of the "European R&I foresight and public engagement for Horizon Europe" project. It supports the work of the Horizon Europe Foresight Network and provides intelligence and supports the development of a European R&I foresight community.

The evolving complexity of global challenges is increasingly affecting the steering of European Research and Innovation which aims at addressing important present and future societal concerns. The idea of ‘watching futures’ to anticipate future possibilities and analyse the consequences of current choices to inform and shape a forward-looking EU R&I policy is continuously gaining ground. 

In this light, as part of the ‘European R&I foresight and public engagement for Horizon Europe’ study launched by the European Commission in connection to the Horizon Europe Foresight Network, a second series of online workshops will take place during October – November 2023.

The workshops, which will run for two hours each, will discuss insights stemming from thematic policy briefs compiled by expert panels, addressing possible future scenarios for critical issues (i.e., Interpretation of Criminal and Lawful Activities, Green Skills and Jobs, Big Tech, etc.). Following the presentation of each policy brief, each workshop will feature two focus groups: one involving the group of experts from the panel who developed the policy brief and one including representatives from topic-relevant EU-funded R&I projects. All events will foster extensive engagement with participants, including policymakers.

This event will bring together participants from a Mutual Learning Exercise on R&I Foresight supported by the European Commission, with other policymakers, experts and interested stakeholders to discuss the lessons and takeaways from the year long process.

The Mutual Learning Exercise (MLE) on R&I Foresight was launched in July 2022 at the request of Member States supported by DG Research and Innovation of the European Commission. Nine countries (Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Romania, and Slovenia), the European Commission and a team of foresight experts, have been actively involved.

The aim of the MLE was to facilitate the exchange of information, experiences and lessons from the practice of R&I foresight across EU and Associated Countries, in order to contribute to the development of an impactful R&I foresight community as an important element of the European Research Area.

Location: Estonian Permanent Representation , Rue Guimard 11, 1040 Bruxelles, Belgium

We organise a series of three workshops: the first two were devoted to devising scenarios, while the third one was meant to derive policy implications.

Alongside digitalisation and automation trends, the shift towards greener and more sustainable economies is a game changer in EU labour markets. Grounded in long-term transformative trends spanning several decades, the green transitions are picking up speed. The resulting changes in skill1 needs will have impacts far beyond the key occupations driving them, affecting all economic sectors. An important challenge for the coming years is accelerating up- and reskilling so that people have the green skills to thrive in greener jobs.

In this workshop, we seek to develop policy implications based on the scenarios which were devloped in the previous workshops. The series is part of the "European R&I foresight and public engagement for Horizon Europe" project. It supports the work of the Horizon Europe Foresight Network and provides intelligence and supports the development of a European R&I foresight community.

We organised a series of three workshops: the first two were devoted to devising scenarios, while the third one was meant to derive policy implications.

We work towards antecipating possible scenarios for Europe in 2040 with regard to big business of high-tech industries. As we explore the futures of Big Tech and the implications to Europe there is a number of driver and buffer actors, factors and sectors to take into account.

The series is part of the "European R&I foresight and public engagement for Horizon Europe" project. It supports the work of the Horizon Europe Foresight Network and provides intelligence and supports the development of a European R&I foresight community.

The evolving complexity of global challenges is increasingly affecting the steering of European Research and Innovation which aims at addressing important present and future societal concerns. The idea of ‘watching futures’ to anticipate future possibilities and analyse the consequences of current choices to inform and shape a forward-looking EU R&I policy is continuously gaining ground.

In this light, as part of the ‘European R&I foresight and public engagement for Horizon Europe’ study launched by the European Commission in connection to the Horizon Europe Foresight Network, a second series of online workshops will take place during October – November 2023.

The workshops, which will run for two hours each, will discuss insights stemming from thematic policy briefs compiled by expert panels, addressing possible future scenarios for critical issues (i.e., Interpretation of Criminal and Lawful Activities, Green Skills and Jobs, Big Tech, etc.). Following the presentation of each policy brief, each workshop will feature two focus groups: one involving the group of experts from the panel who developed the policy brief and one including representatives from topic-relevant EU-funded R&I projects. All events will foster extensive engagement with participants, including policymakers.

The evolving complexity of global challenges is increasingly affecting the steering of European Research and Innovation which aims at addressing important present and future societal concerns. The idea of ‘watching futures’ to anticipate future possibilities and analyse the consequences of current choices to inform and shape a forward-looking EU R&I policy is continuously gaining ground.

In this light, as part of the ‘European R&I foresight and public engagement for Horizon Europe’ study launched by the European Commission in connection to the Horizon Europe Foresight Network, a second series of online workshops will take place during October – November 2023.

The workshops, which will run for two hours each, will discuss insights stemming from thematic policy briefs compiled by expert panels, addressing possible future scenarios for critical issues (i.e., Interpretation of Criminal and Lawful Activities, Green Skills and Jobs, Big Tech, etc.). Following the presentation of each policy brief, each workshop will feature two focus groups: one involving the group of experts from the panel who developed the policy brief and one including representatives from topic-relevant EU-funded R&I projects. All events will foster extensive engagement with participants, including policymakers.

The need to “decolonize the future” is becoming increasingly felt in foresight communities as they come to terms with the predicament of the anthropocene - the knowledge that each action has effects on the present and the future of others, that mostly we are unaware of. In this context, no individual can pretend to be swept by the big currents of modernist history but needs to take responsibility for the full effects of his/her choices.

Join here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82264886120?pwd=mWsetw3h3TBJMgMBYMiaP37RTtRa7J.1

This is the summary of the dissemination event held for the 'Futures of using nature in rural and marine Europe in 2050' project. 

The 14th of June marked the second Deep Dives Dissemination Workshop, focusing on the future of land and sea use. The workshop started with the presentation of The Deep Dive report on Rural and Marine areas in Europe. The report approached the topic from the perspective of using land and sea for restoring biodiversity, involving issues of governance and ownership of land, as well as access and use rights. Four dimensions were used as the basis for scenarios: the economic model, focusing on growth and global trade versus a self-sufficient Europe; environment and production, showing, on one extreme, Europe undertaking intensive mass production of food and a regenerative multifunctional production on the other; low versus high trust in society; and an autocratic versus a deliberative governance model. 

Amongst the 16 different possible futures along these dimensions, four alternative scenarios were developed: 

European civic eco-village: Based on a post-growth and autonomous Europe, much of the food chains are local and short, featuring many cooperative practices. There is a strong focus on nature rights and care for the environment. 

Sustainable high-tech Europe in the World Trade: With a strong focus on regenerative production, honing a high trust society but a weak democracy, the EU no longer exists and is replaced by strong local leaders that re-establish the trust of the people in the local level. On a greater scale, the UN regulates global trade instead of the EU. The management of rural, coastal and marine areas is aligned with national plans and Europe is well aligned with the rest of the world. 

United States of Europe: This growth scenario for global trade centers around mass and intensive food production processes with weak democracy and high trust. Furthermore, there is a need for unified autocratic decision-making. Europe is a powerful global player in terms of global trade and its sustainability agenda. 

European permacrisis: This scenario paints a picture of a post-growth, autonomous Europe, reminiscent of the first scenario but with a twist: it's marked by intensive mass food production. The political landscape is fragmented, dominated by niche single-issue protest parties. Innovation stagnates, and the legal framework suffers from low quality and poor execution. Corporate giants hold significant sway over decisions. Coordination in land use is scant, making nature conservation zones a rare sight. This environment breeds intense competition, making scalability a challenging endeavor. 

The scenarios’ implications for policy 

When it comes to the policy dimension, the scenarios have interconnected effects on various areas like energy, transportation, farming, and fishing. The scenarios highlight a strong focus on making gradual improvements that support a diverse approach to utilising both land and sea resources. These gradual improvements to both land and sea resources usage were further discusssed in the subsequent presentations of the IFOAM and FLOW initiatives, which both aim to enhance production systems and the integrity of supply chain or one’s relationship to ocean and water and coastal resources. 

When we shift our gaze to demographics, lifestyles, and values, the narrative centers around bolstering civic resilience and readiness. This is particularly poignant for rural regions, which need to diversify and foster shared practices that bridge the urban-rural divide. On the governance front, the discourse underscores the pivotal role of citizen engagement in decision-making processes. It also spotlights the intertwined nature of societal and economic resilience, drawing attention to the harmonious relationship between nature restoration and economic activities. The MOVING project resonated vividly with these principles, as it seeks to strengthen value chains that enhance the resilience and sustainability of mountain regions in the face of climate change and other drivers. It was also exhibited in a later part of the workshop as a real case example of how innovative approaches can be practically applied to address pressing environmental challenges, demonstrating the tangible impact of aligning principles with action in safeguarding vulnerable ecosystems. 

Another related point was raised about the importance of the interaction between land and sea, as marine special planning is a comprehensive approach to managing human activities in marine and coastal areas. It is about balancing competing demands while preserving the ecological integrity of marine ecosystems. 

As discussions unfolded, apprehensions arose regarding the "United States of Europe" scenario, particularly its emphasis on autocratic decision-making. Many participants felt that, given Europe's historical and cultural backdrop, autocracy seemed improbable. Instead, they pinpointed misinformation and the misuse of social media as the most pressing threats to modern democracy. In their perspective, a more plausible scenario would be a fragile democracy, undermined by the pervasive spread of misinformation. However, the deep dive team clarified that their intention wasn't to rank scenarios based on likelihood but to explore a spectrum of possibilities, including the extremes. They posited that the scenario in question juxtaposed autocracy with high public trust, suggesting that even in a crisis, a well-functioning democracy could resort to top-down decision-making. 

Other comments surrounded implications for research and development as well as sustainable management of land and water. An imperative is to look for solutions limiting potential conflicts in competitive use of land and sea, especially between food and nonfood uses. 

The considerations posed by the audience on this topic generated a wide array of thought-provoking discussions and paved the way for a deeper exploration into the intricacies of the subject. These dialogues not only highlighted the complexities and nuances inherent to the future of land and sea use but also underscored the importance of diverse perspectives in shaping a comprehensive understanding. 

This blog post summarizes the dissemination event held for the 'Future of Social Confrontations' project.

On 31 May, the Foresight on Demand Consortium hosted the inaugural Horizon Futures Watch Workshop, a deep dive into the future of social confrontations from the perspective of European Research and Innovation Policy. One of the highlights was the 'Deep Dives' segment, which explored the risks future social confrontations might pose to European R&I policies. Findings from a Horizon Scanning exercise were showcased. This exercise aimed at explaining major trends in social confrontations and the factors driving change. Using a model contrasting dimensions like democratisation versus authoritarianism and private economy influence against the significance of public goods, these four potential scenarios, each a possible future for Europe, ignited a spirited discussion among participants.  

• The scenario “European Democracy Rhizome” envisions grassroots networks playing an important role in political participation. Civil society actively engages to enhance its impact on policy-making processes, striving for greater influence and embracing new forms of structured dialogue. The concept is further explored by the Musae Starts project, which was also presented later on in the workshop. it introduces an innovative Human-Centred Factory model that integrates artistic collaboration within Digital Innovation Hubs. It aims adopt a strategic approach to exponential technologies for the future of food, aiming to improve human and planetary well-being by reducing carbon footprint and rethinking the food chain. 
• In contrast, one of two scenarios outlining a shift towards authoritarianism, “Defending Itself Against Totalitarian Tendencies”, depicts a situation where extremists attempt to seize control within the EU, leading to an escalation of social confrontations in countries where civil rights are violated. 
• The other one, “The European Fortress Defending Its Borders”, portrays the EU as safeguarding itself against external infiltration attempts and striving for self-sufficiency. However, it still contends with numerous internal and external forces and groups that fuel social confrontations within European society. 
• The final scenario describes a development toward more consumerism and control by large tech companies. In this scenario, “Cultural hegemony through global capitalism”, almost all types of social confrontations have ended. What is more, it implies a diminishing trust between society and science. During the workshop, PROSPER Network, which unites foresight practitioners from French public research institutions and ministries, examined what could be the drivers of reciprocal trust between society and science and how trust could evolve by 2040. 

Throughout the session, the audience‘s keen interest was evident as they posed insightful questions, diving deep into the nuances of social confrontations for the Green Transition. One notable intervention brought to light a pressing concern: There's a potential for the escalation of social confrontations and unrest if the green transition doesn't incorporate substantial redistributive measures. In contrast to this concern, a project that was presented, Critical Making Project, examined innovation processes in the marker movement with regards to social responsibility, especially in relation to gender, openness, recruitment of young people and more generally, their social responsibility. 

Another question emphasized the significance of "nature justice" in conjunction with climate justice. It's essential to recognize that some nature-based solutions might have unintended consequences, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities. The workshop provided a platform for further exploration of these considerations. Presentations showcased EU-funded projects that specifically addressed these concerns, offering a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and potential solutions in the green transition journey. 

The inaugural Horizon Futures Watch Workshop proved to be an insightful and engaging event. The audience’s active participation particularly underscored the urgency and complexity of addressing social confrontations in the context of the green transition. The workshop highlighted the multidimensional nature of social confrontations and the complex relationship between policies and social dynamics. 

The third Horizon Futures Watch Workshop on the Future of Science for Policy in Europe took place on 28th June 2023. 

The workshop began with a presentation by members of the Foresight on Demand Consortium, aiming to explore the future of science for policy and more specifically knowledge exchange processes between knowledge actors and policymakers, with the intention to produce scientifically informed policy in Europe. The presentation outlined scenarios rooted in developments, trends, and drivers that are currently underway providing a glimpse into potential characteristics that might define the landscape in the 2030s. The scenarios were developed around two key dimensions for the governance of science: the extent to which government directs science and the extent of stakeholder engagement in the shaping of scientific agendas. Drawing from previously identified trends such as Citizen Science, Open Science, Mission-driven research and innovation, and data-driven policy, the team identified five scenario narratives as shown below.

All scenarios, departed from trends already identified within the European R&I system and opened the floor for in-depth discussions concerning the future Science for Policy and policy governance. The discussion that ensued between the speakers and the workshop participants raised points about the future of science for policy and the potential evolution of current R&I policy: 

Foresight and Science for Policy: Certain scenarios speculated that Foresight will not, in the future, be practiced as it was before – as a response to crises – but will be integrated in political agenda setting for R&I. This could render traditional Science for Policy redundant, as it could become an intrinsic element of policy initiatives. In this setting, scientific advice would be co-created through diverse frameworks rather than coming from a single institutionalized source. 

Mapping Scenarios: During the discussions, the intricate nature of European R&I systems was highlighted. Participants proposed that Member States be encouraged to undertake similar scenario-building exercises, which can have the benefit of drawing all relevant stakeholders around the table. This approach could enable the creation of viable roadmaps based on these scenarios and assess the alignment of these streams with National and European initiatives.

Addressing Systemic Failures in Science and Democracy: The discussion also touched upon the democratization of scientific processes leading to considerations about cultivating openness and transparency and encouraging the multidisciplinary nature and the involvement of actors beyond just the scientific realm. Bio Agora, for example, which aims to develop the Science Service for European Research and Biodiversity Policy Making, actively contributes to breaking the silo thinking in science, society and policy, and showcased its approach in a subsequent presentation. Similarly, the PHIRI project (Population Health and Research Infrastructure, PHIRI) presented its approach for best gathering available evidence for research on health and well-being of populations impacted by Covid-19. Through the input gathered from various stakeholders in different member states, PHIRI showcased how they adopted a multi-stakeholder approach to develop scenarios that are insightful for understanding the challenges for public health in the short and long term using the expertise of people from diverse backgrounds. 

Indeed, audience feedback suggested broadening the scope of the prospective analysis conducted on the Future of Science for Policy. This expansion could encompass the involvement and contributions of stakeholders in policy governance who extend beyond the scientific community. This approach aims to achieve a more comprehensive and systemic understanding of the subject matter. 

The project presentations further led to insightful conversations on the strategic significance of Foresight and collaborative governance methods as valuable aspects for addressing deliberative issues, including:

• The concept of Temporality: While it is essential to strive for a better understanding of the future, equal emphasis should be placed on comprehending the present. As Henk Hilderink, Public Health Foresight Expert at the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) said: "If we wait until we understand what the present is, then we are never going to look at the future”.
• Collaborative governance methods: Discussions revolved around identifying the appropriate Collaborative Governance Practices. This entails a keen focus on leveraging Emerging Technologies to facilitate methods conducive to achieving collaborative multilevel governance.

The interpenetration of criminal and lawful economic activities is a pressing concern for policymakers and law enforcement agencies (LEAs). This intricate issue was the topic of the workshop that took place on Wednesday, 11 October 2023, as part of the series of online workshops hosted by the Horizon Futures Watch activities.

The interpenetration of criminal and lawful economic activities is a pressing concern for policymakers and law enforcement agencies (LEAs). This intricate issue was the topic of the workshop that took place on Wednesday, 11 October 2023, as part of the series of online workshops hosted by the Horizon Futures Watch activities. 

The heart of the discussion, a policy brief stemming from the results of deep dives conducted on this topic, revolved around four scenarios, each offering a distinct perspective on the interpenetration of criminal and lawful economic activities highlighting the role of two competing groups: criminal actors and LEAs: 

Neck to Neck Race: When the EU economy is thriving and law enforcement agencies have ample resources and capabilities, well-organized criminal groups are highly motivated to infiltrate lawful economic sectors. Through substantial resources, they create new technologies and methods to further integrate their illegal activities into the legitimate economy. 

Criminal Paradise: In the absence of effective regulation, the EU’s strong economy creates favourable conditions for large, well-organized criminal groups to engage in profitable activities across lawful, questionable, and illicit sectors of the economy. Lawful businesses and citizens become potential victims, vulnerable to  criminal activities. 

Safe Haven for Legal Actors: Large criminal organisations have kept a minimal presence in the EU as they found ample, more profitable opportunities in other regions where LEAs are weaker, and regulation is ineffective. In the EU, law enforcement agencies are well-equipped with resources, skills, capabilities, and supported by effective regulations, making them strong and capable of maintaining law and order. 

Protected Pockets: In this scenario, there are some ‘protected pockets’ for lawful economic actors. Large criminal groups focus their activities outside the EU where they can exploit more profitable opportunities to commit economic crimes. Small-scale criminal organisations take advantage of the low intensity of the large criminal organisations’ activities. 

The scenarios considered various factors that drive individuals to engage in criminal economic activities, ranging from "push" factors, such as economic hardship, to "pull" factors, like lucrative opportunities. The scenarios explored the role of research, technological development, and innovation in creating opportunities for both criminal activities and prevention efforts by LEAs. The presentation of these scenarios opened the floor to insightful discussions regarding the brief's content and its potential consequences for European research and innovation (R&I) policies and regulations. The workshop's program featured two distinct roundtable sessions, bringing together experts and representatives from Horizon projects Aligner and EU-Hybnet. 

The significance of four key policy implications outlined in the brief was stressed, including:  

• Addressing the substantial challenges posed by the volume of data collected during criminal investigations and the information generated by regulatory requirements. 
• The need for increased traceability to enhance transparency. 
• The development of tools aimed at preventing, monitoring, and combating harmful criminal economic activities. 
• The critical importance of building trust in state organizations, particularly law enforcement agencies.

The first roundtable discussion was a rich exchange of diverse perspectives and insights provided by the experts who authored the policy brief. Among the reactions, the pivotal role of supporting technological tools was emphasized to effectively prevent, monitor, and combat criminal economic activities within European Union Member States. Others highlighted the importance of establishing common ground in both policy and technology usability across various criminal justice systems within the EU. This sentiment was echoed by participants’ underlining the significance of fostering inter-state cooperation to address emerging challenges, including the spread of fake news and the links between climate change and different forms of criminal behavior. 

It was pointed out that these scenarios did not include any mentions of the transformative changes associated with the Green Transition and Green Deal, which will have implications for illicit activities. The question of whether ecocide would be categorized as a crime in the future was posed. In addition, the complex connection between climate change and crimes, including human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and the dependence on illicit suppliers was brought forward. 

The second roundtable discussion centred on the regulatory aspects of technology and its ethical implications. Project ALIGNER introduced the concept of technological neutrality, advocating that regulations should target harmful actions rather than the technology itself. She also emphasized the need for continuous evaluation of regulatory effectiveness and the flexibility to adapt them when required.  Project EU-Hybnet underlined the ethical dimension of the debate, namely that it is important for technology regulations to align with democratic consensus and uphold the principles of the rule of law. 

The "grey zone of legality" was also discussed, namely a situation in which the distinction between what is legal and what is illegal is not easily discernible. ALIGNER project’s team pointed out that similar tools, such as AI tools, can serve as assets for law enforcement agencies (LEAs), while also being potential means for criminal activities. There is a grey area in which these tools can be utilized on both sides, highlighting the difficulty in managing this ambiguity from a fundamental rights perspective. 

The workshop’s scenarios and discussion carry significant implications for European research and innovation policies and regulations. By addressing the complex interplay between lawful and criminal economic activities, policymakers and stakeholders have the opportunity to contribute to the creation of a more transparent and secure environment for economic activities within the European Union.

The fifth online event in the series of Horizon Futures Watch dissemination workshops eas held on October 25th 2023 and delved into the theme of the future of green skills and jobs. The importance of this topic and its relevance for the green transition was underlined by its many interpretations. Its definition is often difficult to grasp, as the meaning of ‘green’ is comparative and constantly reconfigured. The urgency of meeting the need for green skills, through workforce up-skilling and reskilling, in order to thrive in greener jobs in the future guided the workshop. A broad definition of green jobs was shared early on, taking into account (i) new and emerging green occupations; (ii) green and enhanced skills and knowledge occupations and (iii) green increased-demand occupations.

The green transition’s potential to lead to important implications for reskilling was a key concept running throughout the workshop. In many places, the lack of green skills may in fact be a barrier to the green transition, but there is also ambiguity on what the green transition actually is and which skills it depends on. This uncertainty set the scene for an exploration of the future and for understanding how research policy can approach green skills and jobs. The relevance of green skills spans beyond research and innovation, touching on education, industry, and environmental policy.

The policy brief introduced by the expert team assessed what the green jobs landscape might look like in 2050 and pointed to the existence of 571 skills and knowledge concepts labelled as ‘green’ which cut across all sectors of the economy, ranging from information to communication and management roles. These include new and emerging green occupations, green and enhanced skills and knowledge occupations, and positions in high demand due to green practices.

The proposed scenarios considered dimensions such as environmental pressures, EU leadership in green technologies, along with demand and supply of green workforce, to generate 16 alternative futures. Four of these were examined in more depth:

A – Green, technology-intensive Europe – struggling to fill all the green jobs

B – Apocalypse soon – fighting skills mismatches in a degraded environment

C – Feeling the pain – a workforce left behind in a non-green world

D – Green leapfrogging – old, mismatched Europe surrounded by new green giants

In response to the above scenarios, the workshop discussed overarching themes concerning the interaction between humans and the environment, as well as between humans and technology. The discussion also explored what defines a 'quality' green job and considered the integration of these concepts into R&I policy and the management of related uncertainties. One participant proposed taking into account the fluctuating numbers of incoming and outgoing workers from the EU.For example, if expertise in carbon capture is not locally available, it may be necessary to source this specialized knowledge outside and draw it into the EU. Therefore, green skills and jobs could be viewed as workforce flows, rather than as static sectors and fixed competencies.

Another participant identified the need to harvest the necessary ability to accompany change processes across all sectors. For example, farmers would need guidance to adopt less chemical-intensive methods and must possess the adaptability to frequently reassess their practices.

In their foresight exercise, the experts concluded that a circular economy would likely result from either intense, crisis-driven pressure, or unprecedented cooperation among current industry players. A major requirement is, therefore, cross-sectoral collaboration, thinking in terms of value chains instead of single products. Additionally, the real challenge lies not just in identifying the necessary skills but in determining who will ensure the training and development of these required skills. This would call for an investment in specialised education, making a compelling case for employers to invest in reskilling their workforce. Thus, a synergy between innovation and educational institutions is essential to equip the workforce with future-oriented skills, including AI and data science expertise.

In the second part of the workshop, perspectives on the scenarios were shared by various foresight project representatives. WE TRANSFORM, a project researching the skills needed for the transition to automated mobility, suggested that the scenarios could have depicted not only probable futures but also aspirational ones. Thus, illustrating pathways and actions necessary to achieve those preferred futures would have enriched the scenarios. This point was also echoed by the Connected Factories Project, whose aim was to identify the enablers and cross-cutting factors of sustainability and manufacturing through specific pathways. According to this project, the scenarios presented were valuable not just for road mapping, but also for potential risk analysis. The assessment of AI’s potential impact on the scenarios was considered a relevant addition to make, considering the topic’s prevalence in the discussions.

Consequently, the MLE project pondered on how the EU could maintain control amid growing environmental vulnerability, appreciating the scenarios’ consideration of the relationship between humans and machines, and the implications these dynamics have for the relationship between digitalization and sustainability. A similar point was also made by Strategic Foresight for Sustainabilit project representatives, emphasizing the need for continuous learning and stressing the importance of narrative skills for highlighting transformation points across industries.

The workshop underlined the potential complexity of green skills agendas, acknowledging that while technology will certainly play a key role in the future of green skills, our ‘solution’ lies in our ability to innovate responsibly and integrate technology with sustainable practices.

The 8th Horizon Futures Watch Dissemination Workshop, which took place on 22 November 2023, served as a platform for insightful discussions centred around the topic of the future of civic resilience.

Participants delved into reflections acknowledging the emergence of resilience as a prominent topic during financial crises, particularly for establishing a resilient financial system. This focus gained substantial momentum in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, where publications began framing resilience as a new compass for EU policy, underscoring the imperative to navigate challenges and transitions in a sustainable, fair, and democratic manner. At the heart of the discussions was the exploration of the genuine meaning of the notion of "resilience".  Attendees contemplated whether resilience is inherently tied to strength or if it manifests as a quality in the absence of strength. Participants engaged in an exploration of potential trade-offs between these diverse perspectives on resilience, prompting thoughtful consideration of whether emphasising one aspect might unintentionally diminish the significance of the other.

Four scenarios have been crafted by the foresight team using a matrix that considers two key axes: Economic and Technological Adaptation, and Social and Environmental Stewardship. Each of these scenarios offers a distinct portrayal of the interplay between economic, technological, social, and environmental factors:  

• Sustainable Breakthroughs - High Economic and Technological Adaptation, High Social and Environmental Stewardship: In this scenario, both economic and technological challenges are effectively managed, and there is a strong emphasis on promoting social equity and environmental conservation. This scenario envisions an ideal future where sustainable practices are prioritized. 
• Community-Compensating - Low      Economic and Technological Adaptation, High Social and Environmental      Stewardship: Despite      facing economic and technological challenges, society in this scenario      places a significant emphasis on community building, social justice, and      environmental protection. It represents a future where community-driven      efforts take precedence in addressing social and environmental concerns. 
• Tech-Driven Dystopia - High      Economic and Technological Adaptation, Low Social and Environmental      Stewardship: This      scenario prioritizes economic growth and technological advancements, but      unfortunately at the expense of social equity and environmental health. It      serves as a cautionary tale, portraying a tech-driven dystopia where the      pursuit of economic and technological progress neglects crucial social and      environmental considerations. 
• Europe in Survival Mode - Low      Economic and Technological Adaptation, Low Social and Environmental      Stewardship: In this      scenario, economic downturns and technological disruptions occur without      effective mitigation, leading to neglect in addressing social and      environmental issues. This scenario depicts a future marked by decline,      emphasizing the importance of addressing economic, social, and      environmental challenges collectively to avoid a downward trajectory.

The R&I policy recommendations stemming from these scenarios include strategies such as identifying and defining boundaries for the forthcoming implementation of cutting-edge technologies with a key focus on prioritizing social stability and welfare. To prevent ecosystem degradation, the team advocates for environmental stewardship, particularly through the stimulation of locally driven and bottom-up generated collaborative and innovative initiatives. Another crucial facet involves the updating of public administration and services, bringing them closer to citizens to proactively prevent institutional degradation. Additionally, the proposals emphasise the stimulation of radical innovation through "glocal" creative initiatives, exemplified by Living Labs, aiming to make a local impact with global significance. Furthermore, a dedicated focus on investing in resilience research was proposed, with the aim to explore new potential needs and innovative approaches.

During the discussions, participants actively engaged in exploring the connections between the different scenarios presented and questioning risks associated with each scenario. The conversation referred to the urban-rural dynamicsand the inclusion of rural areas in the presented scenarios with regard to resilient agricultural food systems. Participants noted that the scenarios were removed from the political landscape on Earth in 2040, specifically regarding the future geopolitical roles of countries such as China, India, and the African nations, as well as considering the evolving trajectories of the United States and the declining trends in Europe. In contrast, the discussions illuminated key insights into the interplay of resilience, community dynamics, and the broader global political outlook.

The coordinator of project RELOCAL offered valuable insights by reviewing the scenarios previously presented through a local lens. RELOCAL, which aimed to explore civic resilience from a local perspective, was another project that highlighted the bottom-up approach between resilience and the local community.

Final discussion points encompassed the crucial emphasis on the local dimension of resilience, recognizing that resilience resides fundamentally in the values of communities. The debate underscored the significant role of local values in shaping the agenda for science and technology such as in the creation of the new Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. The importance of effective multilevel governance in rural areas surfaced as a pivotal factor for enhancing rural resilience. The conversation also delved into system-change theory, emphasising the need to acknowledge citizens as the smallest common denominator and integral contributors to resilience.

The sixth Horizon Futures Watch Dissemination Workshop held on November 8 2023 explored futures of Big Tech in Europe. Contemporary societies increasingly rely on Big Tech for different functions, such as work, communication, consumption, and self-expression.

"Big tech" companies, often referred to as the giants in the technology industry, have a significant impact on the global market, economy, and society. Decision makers, regulators and stakeholders grapple with the challenges of uneven competition and the political and ethical implications arising from the actions of these major players, as well as their data usage practices. In addition, the majority of large high-tech corporations are not headquartered in Europe.

Questions regarding the challenges posed by the future of Big Tech abound: Should Europe try to develop its own Big Tech as well? Should Big Tech be left free to carry on unimpeded? Should governments impose detailed standards of conduct? Foresight experts investigated what the situation could look like in 2040 and the implications for the future of Big Tech in research and innovation policy.

Based on the discussions stemming from the foresight experts, 4 scenarios were conceived:  

• Winner techs all – The economy depends on infrastructures owned and honed by Big Tech. This growing reliance is balanced by benefit sharing arrangements and empowerment of businesses. Stability is underpinned by the existing framework of Globalisation, supported by both informal (G7, G20) and formal institutions (IMF, World Bank). The US continues as the dominant superpower, setting the global agenda, while the EU's role is more constrained, fitting into the international labour division. 
• Pax technologica – The economy balances between pro-global business interests and pro-local political constraints, where 'local' refers to cooperative yet competitive groups of countries. Despite the drive for economies of scale and scope, increased regulation and stricter borders have led to more fragmented supply chains focused on suppliers within mega-regions of preferential partners, prioritizing stability over efficiency. The EU acts as a nexus for these external and internal pressures, embodying the "Brussels Consensus." 
• Re-match – The development of nations and regions is shaped by their unique paths in a diverse international landscape, where proactive and coordinated policies are increasingly relevant. After a period of rapid expansion, Big Tech's growth has slowed, giving way to innovative cross-regional and trans-sectoral entities that thrive in a complex economy with active public sector involvement. The EU plays a key role in fostering network building and protecting vital components of the modern economy, balancing citizen engagement and global fragmentation. 
• Closet liberalism – In this scenario, commercial and financial integration advances, with power increasingly crossing national borders and impacting state sovereignty. Large multinationals, particularly tech monopolies, influence public governance, though their maturity leads to higher costs and poorer quality. This environment, characterized by a network of competition authorities, presents opportunities for decentralization, particularly at local and city levels, while the US prioritizes its interests and the EU advocates for market order, with internal members reinterpreting rules for their benefit. 

Overall, the experts concluded that Europe needs its own leading actors in the digital world. The key question remains how compatible they would be in an existing market and what they would mean for competition and equality in Europe. EU-based research and development startups receive a lot of offers from bigger tech giants, calling for closer monitoring of the global connectivity of ecosystems to avoid the gobbling up of in-house expertise.

Grappling with Big Tech scenarios raised issues tied to ethics, for which project TechEthos provided feedback. This project, which seeks to create ethical guidelines for emerging technologies, aims to define potential ethical implications of future technologies. They believed the scenarios were well defined but lacked a focus on societal and ethical implications. When examining technological risks, the scenarios focused on whether specific technologies prioritised the achievement of their intended functions, rather than considering the ethical implications and transformations these technologies might undergo. Their pointers turned toward copyright issues and the ways in which creative generative companies are restructuring their human labour. They asked scenario experts how a responsible innovative model for Big Tech might look so that new narratives can be strived towards.

Project PLUS offered a step in that direction by analysing how the platform economy affects work, welfare, and social protection, employing an innovative approach that spans multiple cities. From drone deliveries to automated driving systems, from the artificial intelligence of home assistant devices to the digitization of agriculture, they stressed that today it is the major platform economy players like Amazon, rather than the public sector, which develop patents for new technologies. This could be a feature of scenarios with a prominent role for the EU.

One participant argued in favour of building the capacity for data analysis for public purposes. While the business sector can do this efficiently, the public sector lags behind. They argued that the public sector should be empowered with the capacity to exploit data this way. At the same time, a greater effort is needed to use data repositories in Europe. However, large companies already have a big head start, thus increasing the competition with existing big data infrastructures.

The capability to exploit data proves as important as the technologies themselves, indicating that the future of Big Tech will not only be shaped by technological advancements but also by the mastery of data utilisation. This intertwining of data exploitation and technology underscores the potential for even greater influence and innovation in the years ahead.

The seventh Horizon Futures Watch online dissemination workshop took place on November 15 2023 and explored possible futures of innovation and IP regulation. The topic proved rich in discussion points, challenges, and questions related to the future.

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are typically viewed as a cornerstone for innovation, because they facilitate knowledge transactions that might otherwise be hindered due to the public good nature of knowledge. Thus IPR are seen as crucial in promoting creative and inventive activities. However, some critics argue that IPR can be a costly market distortion, inhibiting rather than encouraging innovation. IPR institutions are increasingly under scrutiny amidst evolving innovation trends and changes. IPR, known for their technical complexity and variability across legal jurisdictions, are facing diverse challenges, reflecting the dynamic nature of modern innovation and innovation policy. Amongst the important shifts are trends towards more inclusive, open innovation processes involving various stakeholders and the growing influence of digitalization.

The presentation of scenarios relating to the future of intellectual property was the cue for participants, speakers, and experts alike to begin teasing out the underlying implications of IP for innovation and patenting. The scenarios evolved along important emerging trends and were mapped along two dimensions: private versus public use of IP, and concentration of power versus distribution of power. These dimensions, along with a definition of key drivers and main actors, yielded the following five scenarios:  

• End of IP as we know it – Key actors are large cloud-based giants and trade secrets are a prevalent form of IP. Europe loses value as tech giants are not based in Europe. Unitary patent loses meaning. Policy implications: anti-trust and ex-ante regulation are of utmost importance to avoid obscured private governance of IP. 
• ‘Creative destruction’ of the IP regime – Drivers include the speed of technological change, increasing technological complexity, and disruptive technologies. Europe faces regulatory challenges. Regarding policy implications, the aim is to maintain the quality of IPR and IP authorities are encouraged to operate in the public interest. 
• IP a battlefield of geopolitics – EU hands out strong security patents within a harmonized IPR regime. In regulation, mandatory mediation is paramount and the mediator has access to agreements from patent owner. 
• Global and balanced IP for open innovation – IP is lean toward access. Drivers include public interest, global IP, and the movement of public goods. AI and digitalization play a role in ensuring transparency, monitoring, and innovation. Science has become the solution to address extreme weather events. Public funding ensures that there is open access to public research results. 
• Open-source collaboration globalized innovation – Innovation is driven by collaborative communities and startups. There is capacity to regulate access to EU internal market and influence global supply chains.

The audience offered commentary and discussed the individual scenarios. One participant noted that several scenarios focused primarily on IP and innovation from a techno-centric perspective, suggesting a need for greater emphasis on the social context of innovation. A point was made about how the fourth scenario, which dealt with global and balanced IP, better addressed this aspect by highlighting the implications of patents for public good in the context of COVID. One of the projects presented subsequently, Creative IPR, further touched upon these implications for the creative industries, namely pointing to the impact of the COVID crisis on revenue generated from copyrights, particularly for the music sector. The project coordinator argued that the pandemic highlighted the vulnerability of the music industry due to a heavier reliance on copyright for revenue compared to a more resilient sector, such as fashion design and textiles. This raised questions about how to best support the music industry through IP in times of crisis.

Touching upon the technological implications for IP, a representative from the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), argued that human contribution to innovation will not be replaced by AI, but that a lot of AI applications rely on training data, which still makes use of human creativity. He argued that in Europe, one area that has seen the strongest progress is digital technology, at the expense of more traditional technologies such as mechanical, chemical, and technical engineering, which have witnessed a reduced number of patent filings. On the other hand, he stressed how the fastest growth in patent development in East Asia questions how European companies should prepare for a changing landscape in innovation reflected in intellectual property.

One remark in reaction to this was a caution not to forget traditional technologies, and not to assume that these would be overshadowed by aspects such as digitalization, but to continue fostering this strength in traditional technologies. While Europe is a follower in the area of digitalisation, AI-generated products are still driven by human creativity and engineering, highlighting the importance for regulators not to forget about this link.

Referencing the fourth scenario, another participant argued that countries in East Asia, such as India, which advocate for more access, may contribute to a changing geopolitical landscape towards access, fostered by national trade interests. Focusing more on production and less on usage could lead to duplicating many existing patents. At the same time, this approach might also entail increased international collaboration and bilateral relations, pooling resources to accelerate innovation.

The overall discussion highlighted the need to strike a balance between innovation incentives and the right to access. It is essential to find a middle ground that encourages creative and scientific advancement while ensuring information and educational resources remain accessible to all.

As a partner of the Eye of Europe Project, Helenos will implement its first pilot on Fashion Futuring, investigating potential links among objects, fiction, culture, and systems to understand how the values of the systems/societies can shape the future of fashion.

Date: 20/01/2025

Time: 12.00-16.00 (local-Athens time)

Location: MOMus- Museum of Modern Art, Thessaloniki, Greece

Format: In-person

Audience: Regional stakeholders and citizens 

Context

Have you ever wondered why people in Ancient Egypt (3100-30 BCE) wore hair wigs? Or why samurai have been associated with kimonos, while feminine full skirts are linked with the post-war America of the ‘50s? There are numerous examples of fashion items that represent specific periods and places. But what does that signify? In ancient Egypt, men wearing hair wigs was considered an honor and a symbol of equalization to women, as women were regarded as wise and sacred.  

Similarly, in Tokugawa Japan (1603 – 1868), when samurai lived, clothing indicated one’s rank and role within the highly structured feudal society, while in post-war America, fashion was influenced by the idealized image of the suburban family, emphasizing domesticity and traditional gender roles. The common space of all three examples is that - throughout the centuries - fashion has served people and societies as a way of self-expression, a sign of social status, also revealing the prevailing social norms and beliefs. 

Today, our highly complex and uncertain world requires strategic tools that will help us create new sustainable development trajectories. Fashion not only reveals unique and collective identities, norms, and ethics but is also associated with environmental issues. It is one of the largest pollutant industries, prompting a shift in the way we produce and consume fashion items. How might the climate crisis change our attitudes, and how does this impact the fashion industry? 

What is Fashion Futuring?

Fashion Futuring is an innovative approach that investigates potential links among objects, fiction, culture, and systems to understand how the values of the systems/societies can shape the future of fashion. It suggests a significant shift in the future of fashion approach, moving away from short-term trends and financial forecasting as primary factors for fashion production, towards sustainable, more humane means of fashion producing and consuming. 

The pilot

The upcoming pilot at the beginning of the next year is targeted towards regional stakeholders in Greece, such as citizens, CCI regional firms, and experts from academia and market and regional policy-makers. The workshop consists of a 7-stage methodology based on Garcia (2023), where participants will be encouraged to share their personal experiences and values, co-create a fictional future, and work together to design a fictional fashion item based on this future. The workshop will utilize various foresight methods, primarily core design, what-if scenario development, and strategic thinking.

In the spring of 2025, Helenos Consulting will organize a second pilot on the same topic, focussing on a different audience of international and national Fashion, Textile, and foresight experts, to grasp a holistic image of the topic. 

This workshop will be implemented in Greek with citizens and other local stakeholders from Thessaloniki.

Futures Conference 2025 focuses on the futures of technologies, their development, importance, role and risks as a driver of social change. What are the effects of social and environmental changes on technological development and vice versa?

‘Futures of Technologies’ is the 25th international Futures Conference of the Finland Futures Research Centre and Finland Futures Academy, University of Turku. It is organised together with the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd during 10–12 June 2025 in Turku, Finland.

Guidelines for abstract submission
Abstract submission for the ‘Futures of Technologies’ conference is ongoing actively. We invite researchers, scholars, practitioners, consultants and students from universities, research institutes, companies, governmental and non-governmental organisations to share the latest research results, findings and thoughts on these key topics:

1. Theoretical frameworks of technology in futures studies and foresight
2. Methodological innovations due to AI and emerging technologies
3. Anticipatory governance of emerging technologies
4. Linkages between foresight, technology, and policymaking
5. Bridging foresight and management: futures studies approach in management practices
6. Case studies on technology-enabled future design
7. The use of technologies in research, teaching and learning
8. Futures of the digital and green transitions
9. The role of technology in tackling global challenges
10. Technology impact assessment
11. Ethical issues in technology

The Call for Papers is open until 31 January 2025.

First Keynote Speakers Announced
Ali Aslan Gümüşay is professor of Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Sustainability at LMU Munich and head of research group Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Society at the Humboldt Institute for Internet & Society Berlin. His research focuses on values, meaning and hybridity in entrepreneurship; grand challenges, sustainability and new forms of organizing; digitalization, management and innovation as well as impact, scholarship and futures.

Cynthia Selin is a pioneering social scientist and strategic foresight expert known for developing innovative methodologies to navigate complex change and advance the theoretical boundaries of anticipation. An Associate Fellow at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and core faculty in the Oxford Scenarios Programme, Dr. Selin also founded Scenaric, a consulting firm that equips organizations to tackle uncertainty and shape resilient futures.

Philip Brey is professor of Philosophy and Ethics of Technology at the University of Twente. He is member of the management team (and former chairman) of the 4TU Center for Ethics & Technology, a partnership of the universities of Twente, Delft, Eindhoven and Wageningen with more than 60 researchers.

Jerome C. Glenn co-founded and directs The Millennium Project, a leading global participatory think tank with over 70 Nodes around the world. He is assisting the UN Council of Presidents of the General Assembly on the UNGA’s role in governance of Artificial General Intelligence, author/editor forthcoming Global Governance of Artificial General Intelligence (De Gruyter), lead author State of the Future 20.0 and Future Work/Tech 2050: Scenarios and Actions and co-editor Futures Research Methodology 3.0 with Ted Gordon. Glenn has directed over 80 futures research projects and is a member of the IEEE SA P2863 Organizational Governance of AI working group.

Elina Hiltunen is a futurist with a PhD in Business (Organisation and Management) and a Master’s degree in Engineering (Chemistry: specialisation in polymer technology, technical chemistry, environmental protection and International Design Business Management, IDBM). Elina’s PhD thesis (2010) was on ”Weak signals in organizational future learning”. Elina is currently working on her second PhD thesis at the National Defence University on the use of science fiction in defence organisations’ foresight. Elina is listed among the 50 leading female futurists in the world by Forbes. She is also listed among the 25 leading female futurists in the world. She has also been listed among Finland’s 100 IT influencers.

Read more about the Keynotes. 

Conference Newsletters

• Conference Newsletter #1 (4.11.2024)
• Conference Newsletter #2 (26.11.2024)  

Project Futures Garden is warmly inviting you to engage with two fictional artifacts that showcase thought provoking future scenarios regarding “Dealing with future selves” and “Extending human perception to new scales”.
Join us for an immersive and interactive experience!

Artifacts:

INWARDS
The film Inwards invites us to explore new practices and technologies that enhance self-reflection and sharing of emotions, thus helping shape our choices in life and nurture a renewed sense of togetherness.

>> Watch the teaser for Inwards

SYMBIOTIC
The film Symbio tic invites us to explore new ways of inhabiting the perception of other intelligent beings, to embody their experience, their sensory world, their “umwelt” – what they “feel” and how they “think”.

>> Watch the teaser for Symbiotic

Who Should Attend? 

• EU citizens interested in reflecting on and discussing future fictional artifacts, thus fostering new ideas and attitudes that may reshape their present lives and their future
• Policymakers looking for fresh perspectives derived from future scenarios
• Futurists, designers, and behavioral scientists exploring the power of citizen engagement in molding future imaginaries

The evolving complexity of global challenges is increasingly affecting the steering of European Research and Innovation which aims at addressing important present and future societal concerns. The idea of ‘watching futures’ to anticipate future possibilities and analyse the consequences of current choices to inform and shape a forward-looking EU R&I policy is continuously gaining ground.

In this light, as part of the ‘European R&I foresight and public engagement for Horizon Europe’ study launched by the European Commission in connection to the Horizon Europe Foresight Network, a second series of online workshops will take place during October – November 2023.

The workshops, which will run for two hours each, will discuss insights stemming from thematic policy briefs compiled by expert panels, addressing possible future scenarios for critical issues (i.e., Interpretation of Criminal and Lawful Activities, Green Skills and Jobs, Big Tech, etc.). Following the presentation of each policy brief, each workshop will feature two focus groups: one involving the group of experts from the panel who developed the policy brief and one including representatives from topic-relevant EU-funded R&I projects. All events will foster extensive engagement with participants, including policymakers.

The evolving complexity of global challenges is increasingly affecting the steering of European Research and Innovation which aims at addressing important present and future societal concerns. The idea of ‘watching futures’ to anticipate future possibilities and analyse the consequences of current choices to inform and shape a forward-looking EU R&I policy is continuously gaining ground.

In this light, as part of the ‘European R&I foresight and public engagement for Horizon Europe’ study launched by the European Commission in connection to the Horizon Europe Foresight Network, a second series of online workshops will take place during October – November 2023.

The workshops, which will run for two hours each, will discuss insights stemming from thematic policy briefs compiled by expert panels, addressing possible future scenarios for critical issues (i.e., Interpretation of Criminal and Lawful Activities, Green Skills and Jobs, Big Tech, etc.). Following the presentation of each policy brief, each workshop will feature two focus groups: one involving the group of experts from the panel who developed the policy brief and one including representatives from topic-relevant EU-funded R&I projects. All events will foster extensive engagement with participants, including policymakers.

The ability to tell stories is a uniquely human achievement. Stories give humans a powerful evolutionary advantage that allows us to collaborate at scale by learning from the experiences or ideas of others. The stories we tell about the future influence and are influenced by others people’s views of the future. What is more, they can steer our own and our collective futures.

In this 90 minute workshop you will learn some of the basics of how we come to develop stories about the future in our own minds. You will understand better how these stories can have a big impact on the decisions that we make as individuals and collectively. Working in groups you will explore alternative future stories and together create a re-authored future narrative which will feed into #ourfutures project on the Futures4Europe platform. After the workshop, we would like to offer 30 minutes for an informal exchange to participants who would like to keep the conversation going after the official program ends.

Claire Marshall is an Australian doctoral researcher within Transdisciplinary School (TD School) at UTS. Her research is focused on exploring how our brains think about the future and how we can counter dominant narratives through narrative practise to encourage regenerative futures. Her award-winning project Museum of Futures has been exhibited across Australia and internationally and has been recognised as a way to help policy makers and communities connect over shared futures.

In this webinar, OECD together with the Government of Flanders will launch the blueprint for strategic foresight and discuss with experts on how other public organisations can also integrate strategic foresight into their systems.

Across OECD countries, strategic foresight has become an essential approach for governments to better anticipate and prepare for complex and volatile policy contexts and build resilience in policymaking. Strategic foresight helps to create shared goals, reframe policy issues, act as an early warning system, stress-test current policies and innovate for better policy outcomes.

Over the course of 2022-2023 OECD worked together with the Government of Flanders to assess its strategic foresight capacity. As the result of the work OECD co-designed a blueprint for strategic foresight for the Government of Flanders. The blueprint sets a strategic direction to integrate strategic foresight into policymaking through specific actions, new roles and functions in government.

In this webinar, OECD together with the Government of Flanders will launch the blueprint and discuss with experts on how other public organisations can also integrate strategic foresight into their systems.

The leadership team of Foresight Europe Network (FEN) cordially invites you to the upcoming in-person meeting on Wednesday 12 June 2024 in Turku, Finland - University of Turku, building: Medisiina D, room: ’Skooppi 1–2’, address: Kiinamyllynkatu 10, Turku, Finland

The meeting is free and open to all who are interested in futures and foresight in Europe. Whether you have signed up as a FEN Member, are wise and experienced in futures or newly starting in this field, professor or student of futures – we welcome you.

Agenda*

Welcoming Remarks (5 minutes) Nicolas Balcom Raleigh, FEN President

Icebreaker (10 minutes) Lena Tünkers, FEN Future President

Presentations: (á 15 minutes)

• Eye of Europe project and futures4europe.eu platform: Project coordinator Dr. Radu Gheorghiu, UEFISCDI, Romania & Bianca Dragomir, Institutul de Prospectiva, Romania
• Updates from The Millennium Project: Executive Director and Co-Founder Jerome Glenn & Deputy Director Ibon Zugasti
• Parliamentary/National Committees for Future: Dr. Sofi Kurki, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd
  

Group Discussions (30 minutes) & Plenary (20 minutes) FEN members discuss emergent topics sparked by the presentations.

Closing Remarks (10 minutes) Lena Tünkers, FEN Future President

Foresight Europe Network brings together foresight practitioners and users, futures educators and researchers, and futures studies/foresight students doing futures work in European contexts. FEN thanks the organizers of Futures Conference 2024 for providing the meeting space in conjunction with the conference. This meeting is free and open. All who are interested are welcome to attend, even if you are not already a member of FEN.

* Agenda is subject to change.

https://futuresconference2024.com/side-events/120624-fen/

Drawing on their decades-long experience and their permanent innovative processes, Futuribles and 4Sing run a week-long seminar, combining theoretical underpinnings and methods with practical applications for organizations.

About the event
This training is aimed at (future) foresight professionals, whether they are just starting out on this path, or have already set up a foresight function within their organizations, and regardless of whether they have already carried out a foresight project or are about to do so for the first time.

Offered entirely in English, the week-long seminar will also bring together and launch a conversation between foresight practitioners at a European and international level.

Agenda

9/16. Why foresight and how to do it well?

9/17. How do organizations develop and use foresight?

9/18. People and places using foresight

9/19. Various foresight methods

9/20. Using foresight to make change happen now

Facilitators

The training is facilitated by Marie Ségur, Research Director at Futuribles, and Adrian Taylor, Founder of 4Sing (ForeSight to Strategy for Security and Sustainability IN Governance).

With the support of:

• Antoine Cahen, Special Foresight Advisor at the European Parliament Research Service (EPRS), has recently built scenarios on the Ukraine war and its aftermaths on the European Union.

• Léa Chaussis, Futures Literacy Expert and Associate Project Officer at UNESCO.

• Cécile Désaunay, Research Director at Futuribles.

• Olivier Desbiey, Group Head of Foresight at AXA.

• Erik Grab, Vice-President in charge of Strategic Anticipation and Co-Innovation at Michelin.

• François de Jouvenel, Director of Futuribles, General Delegate of Futuribles International.

• Marianne Julien, Foresight Investigation Leader and Facilitator at i-Lab at Air Liquide.

• Christine Kavazanjian, Futures Literacy & Foresight Expert and Project Officer at UNESCO.

• Michel Maietta, Founder of IARAN (Inter-Agency Research and Analysis Network), with a long experience of using foresight to face humanitarian crises.

• Pierre-Antoine Marti, Research Director at Futuribles.

• Michelle Rathman-Josserand, Director of the Strategic and Scientific Foresight and Risk Intelligence at L’Oréal.

• Corinne Roëls, General Secretary of Futuribles.

• Geraldine Wessing, Chief Political Analyst at Shell.

Registration link:

https://www.futuribles.com/formation/one-week-foresight-training-2/#programme

Training cost:

The early bird registration fee is 3,200 € excluding tax, or 3,840 € including VAT, until June 21, 2024.

The standard registration fee is 4,000 € excluding tax, or 4,800 € including VAT.

Venue

Paris, 7th arrondissement, 75007 Paris, France

The concept of Future-Oriented Collective Intelligence (FOCI) offers a transformative approach to making sense of and addressing future challenges that are complex and interconnected. The topic will be at the centre of the Futures4Europe Conference that will take place on 15 - 16 May 2025 in Vienna, Austria, at the Skydome in Vienna’s thrilling 7th district.   

The Registration to the Futures4Europe Conference is now open here: REGISTRATION LINK  

The conference is free of charge, but registration is required to attend. Kindly register only if you intend to join us in person: spots are limited and hybrid or virtual attendance will not be possible You will be receiving a confirmation by email. Check back this page for the final programme and other details. If you have any questions, please contact us at futures4europe@ait.ac.at   

The event will focus on three subtopics that correspond to the tracks of the Call for Papers: 

• Collective Intelligence for R&I Policy Making;
• Science as Collective Intelligence;
• Emerging practices and cultures in future-oriented collective intelligence.

The programme will consist of keynotes, parallel sessions with paper presentations and interactive formats. The final agenda will be shared closer to the event date. 

The Call for Papers is now closed.

Selected papers will be published in the international bi-monthly Foresight journal by Emerald Publishing. 

The Conference is organised by AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, as part of the Eye of Europe project, which envisions a more cohesive and influential R&I foresight community that contributes significantly, as collective intelligence, to shaping and guiding policy decisions. The project has received funding from the EU’s Horizon Europe Research Programme under Grant Agreement n°101131738. 

#Futures4EuropeConference2025 #Foresight #CollectiveIntelligence

JRC hosted a panel discussion at the UN Summit of the Future on September 21st 2024 on how foresight can complement classical risk assessment methods.

The United Nations will publish its first Global Risk Report in Autumn 2024. This follows the UNDRR UN Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction in 2023. The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission published in June 2024 its report "Risks on the Horizon". In addition, the World Economic Forum published its Global Risk Report in January 2024 . The panel gathered together experts behind these reports and speakers highlight how existing foresight methods can help to identify future risks, many of which were inter-generational, by using methods which do not rely on a risk already being known.

The first Mutual Learning Event (MLE) took place on May 23, 2024 in Bratislava, Slovakia as part of the Horizon Europe project Eye of Europe, which aims to contribute to the maturing of a vibrant Research and Innovation (R&I) foresight community in Europe and to support the integration of foresight practices into R&I policy-making.

Forty participants from partner organizations and external representatives of ministries, governmental bodies, R&I funding agencies and the European institutions gathered in the premises of the Government Office of the Slovak Republic.

This MLE, organized by Technology Centre Prague (TC), focused on the identification of emerging needs and approaches in the practice of foresight for research and innovation. To this end, the MLE in Bratislava was structured along the following phases:

• Eye of Europe’s vision and main building blocks, presented by project coordinator Radu Gheorghiu
• The context and role of this MLE, and a brief overview of other mutual learning events that took place since 2020, presented by Michal Pazour 
• Showcasing preliminary results of the Stocktaking of the organisation of R&I Foresight activities in the European Research Area (ERA), by Simone Weske. The presentation highlighted key benefits of the R&I foresight activities, constraints and bottlenecks, as perceived by the survey respondents.
• Four country studies - Slovakia, Finland, Austria and Sweden - have brought interesting insights and comparisons related to R&I foresight uptake and potential for improvement:
  Slovakia: Research and Innovation System and the potential for R&I Foresight |Michal Habrman, Government Office of the Slovak Republic
  Finland: Finnish national foresight ecosystem | Juha Kaskinen, FFRC University of Turku Finland
  Sweden: Leading from the Future in Sweden | Joakim Skog, Vinnova Sweden
  Austria: R&I foresight | Christian Naczinsky, Austrian Ministry of Education
• Discussions in four participant groups on emerging functions and approaches of R&I foresight. Overall, the group discussions touched on the dynamics of R&I foresight demand and supply and on the diversification of tools and methods for establishing dialogue with policy-making.
  
  This video created by the event host, Výskumná a inovačná autorita (VAIA), offers a glimpse into the spirit of both the MLE and the R&I foresight masterclass that preceded it. The detailed outputs of the MLE will be published in a dedicated report.
  
  
  ***
  Five MLEs are planned in the project, with the following one being held online in September 2024. All Eye of Europe MLEs are organized by Technology Centre Prague (TC), Eye of Europe partner and key Czech national think tank and academia based NGO with a rich experience with knowledge-based policy making support and (participatory as well as expert based) foresight activities.
  

The second Mutual Learning Event (MLE) took place online on September 26, 2024, as part of Eye of Europe, a Horizon Europe project  which aims to enhance the integration of foresight practices into Research and Innovation (R&I) policy-making across Europe and to nurture a vibrant, cohesive R&I foresight community that contributes significantly, as a collective intelligence, to shaping and guiding policy decisions.

The online MLE brought together fifty participants from diverse stakeholder groups: Eye of Europe partner organizations, the European Commission, R&I funding agencies, representatives of governmental bodies. The event, organized by Technology Centre Prague (TC), focused on the topic of policy oriented communication of foresight results. Group and plenary discussions in three interactive sessions were framed by expert presentations showcasing diverse practices in the application and communication of foresight.

Presentations:

• Michal Pazour (TC Prague, Czech Republic) introduced the Eye of Europe project and the context of this second Mutual Learning Event.
• Moderator of the event Lenka Hebáková (TC Prague, Czech Republic) followed up with an introduction to the event’s aims and agenda.
• Mikko Dufva (SITRA, Finland) – “Communicating foresight. From knowing it all to empowering change”. The presentation included three case studies: SITRA’s decade long experience with megatrends as a platform for dialogue, their work on weak signals as an invitation to broaden futures thinking in a “what if?” spirit and, finally, their efforts to empower others to define futures bottom-up, through small funding to diverse teams across Finland.
• “Communicating foresight in the European Commission” presented by Maia Knutti and Teodora Garbovan (EU Policy Lab, European Commission) brought insights into how, in the European Commission context, foresight is employed and linked with the policy cycle. Examples covered foresight content (e.g. Strategic Foresight Reports) and engagement tools (e.g. megatrends hub, scenario exploration system) that are serving different stakeholder groups across multiple channels.
• Bianca Dragomir (Institutul de Prospectiva, Romania) discussed a case study on embedding foresight into policy making in the context of developing the Strategy for Fishing and Aquaculture 2035 in Romania. Moreover, she shared about embedding foresight into both policy making and societal conversation, discussing two Foresight on Demand projects: Scenarios on “Transhumanist Revolutions” and foresight-meets-speculative-design project “Futures Garden”.
• Totti Könnölä (Insight Foresight Institute, Spain) shared about the Foresight on Demand project "European R&I foresight and public engagement for Horizon Europe" that advanced several objectives: generating foresight intelligence, i.e. through forward-looking policy briefs; monitoring of foresight activities and providing support for exploitation (Horizon Futures Watch); laying the building blocks for a European foresight community supported by an online platform. 
• Marie Ségur (Futuribles, France) presented a case study on “Future of social work in France to 2035-2050” and the methods employed throughout the process: using surveys to motivate engagement with futures thinking, scenario building that may inform strategic choices and guide towards a vision and, finally, communicating outcomes in a synthetic manner, that may contribute to a wider discussion around the topic.
• Eye of Europe project coordinator Radu Gheorghiu (UEFISCDI, Romania) shared previews of the upcoming upgrade of the futures4europe.eu platform, with its new look and extended features.
  
  This event is the second in a series of five MLEs planned in the project; the following event will be held on January 21st 2025 also in an online format. All Eye of Europe MLEs are organized by Technology Centre Prague (TC), Eye of Europe partner and key Czech national think tank and academia based NGO with a rich experience with knowledge-based policy making support and (participatory as well as expert based) foresight activities.

4strat is running an online session on Horizon Scanning as a method for navigating uncertainty and exploring emerging signals. 

Join foresight practitioners Ullrich Lorenz and Ana Z. Keser for a dive in into:

🔎 Weak Signals & Sense Making: How to identify early indicators of change and make sense of them in a complex environment. 

📌 Scanning sources & practices: Explore best practices for gathering data from diverse sources to uncover opportunities and risks.

🌐 Tools & AI: Learn how AI and digital platforms are enhancing the scanning process, making it more efficient and insightful.   

What to expect: 

▪️ Practical guidance on how Horizon Scanning can support strategic decision-making and long-term planning.

▪️ In-depth insights from experienced foresight professionals on how to execute a platform-driven Horizon Scanning. 

▪️ A structured approach to integrating both human expertise and AI in identifying Weak Signals and emerging trends.

Interested in Joining this free webinar? Register here.