What is your role in the Eye of Europe Project and what are you currently working on?
I am working at the National research Council of Italy (CNR) and I am the coordinator of the activities that CNR is foreseen to implement in the project. CNR was recently responsible for the deliverable of the project aiming to identify the EU’s R&I foresight priorities.
Where do you see the field of foresight evolving in the next few years?
Foresight has recently received a lot of attention, especially at political level. I do believe that this is due to the increased complexity of the socio-economic system, and its impact on geo-political equilibrium, with consequent interest in the different dynamics of the present scenario towards possible futures. I also face a proliferation of initiatives on foresight, and many of them are struggling for having visibility, despite their valuable contribution to identify the fundamental aspects of some challenges. I think that some technologies are impacting on the role of humans, especially on the perception that we are the "owners of intelligence and free will", and foresight more on anthropological and psychological constraints are needed to complement those on technology and environment.
What is a piece of foresight related work or publication that you would recommend to read?
Imagination may sometimes be more truthful than knowledge, and I propose a reading that encapsulates this notion. It explores cinematic and literary interpretations of futures as a foresight method and as a way to understand grand societal challenges. Through alternative frames that symbolise ‘futures’, we can observe how speculative and creative fiction can enrich our understanding of such challenges faced in the 21st century.
Bina et al., (2017), Futures, 86, 166-184: The future imagined: Exploring fiction as a means of reflecting on today’s Grand Societal Challenges and tomorrow’s options
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016328716301288
Imagine you’re living in 2050. What’s one surprising innovation or societal shift you think might define that world?
I imagine that the impact of brain-computer interfaces will enable a sort of global mind and developments of cyborgs, where diffused out-of-body experiences and social behaviors will emerge.
