Next Generation Foresight at ESPAS

In November, we were delighted to bring together our 2018 awardees of the Next Generation Foresight Practitioners Award in Brussels for an exploration of global futures alongside the ESPAS 2018 annual conference.

Over two days in November, the ESPAS conference “Global Trends to 2030: Shaping the Future in a Fast-Changing World” brought together a select community of global foresight practitioners and strategists to explore the latest and most pressing social, economic, technological and geopolitical trends shaping the future of Europe and the world. The aim: to generate fresh insights for the next edition of the ESPAS Global Trends to 2030 report.

We were delighted to have our 13 NGFP awardees invited to attend by ESPAS, recognising the importance of bringing new voices and approaches to strategic foresight. We supported them to travel to Brussels, where they discussed their work and experience as futurists and foresight strategists, and started to think about the future of the sensing network that has been established under the award. The day was marked by the exchanging of ideas, advice, stories and discussions on the different projects.

Our director, Cat Tully, also participated as a panelist in the conference’s second day, hosted by the European Parliamentary Research Service, the Parliament’s own think tank. In the panel Foresight: Thinking About Tomorrow Today, chaired by Ann Mettler —  chair of ESPAS; head of the European Political Strategy Centre (EPSC) — Cat discussed the importance of strategic foresight and its role in the 2030 agenda. You can read some of her thoughts on foresight and the next generation in a thought-provoking essay published on ESPAS thinkpieces handbook.

Our Next Generation Foresight Practitioners awardees are the best example of how new generations and new geographies successfully using strategic foresight in innovative projects with a global impact.

On the last day of ESPAS, we had the great pleasure of meeting with various SOIF alumni for a get-together breakfast to conclude a marvelous week.

More information about the ESPAS conference 2018 can be found here. 

Our Main Awardee, Pupul Bisht discussing her award-winning project Decolonizing Futures: Exploring Storytelling as a Tool for Inclusion in Foresight. 

Our Runner-up: Main Award and Winner: Africa Special Award, Oluwabunmi (Bunmi) Ajilore discussing his project, a participatory prospective analysis for impact and sustainability in Africa.