UPCOMING
Book: Cultivating Futures Thinking in Museums (2024)
.... More soon
... More soon
SELECTED REPORTS
The space exploration sector is evolving according to critical uncertainties and forces of change. To discern the trends that will influence space exploration in the long term, the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) and the Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies (CIFS) collaboratively conducted a foresight analysis on the Future of Space Exploration in Europe between 2040-2060. The study delineates four scenarios for the long-term future of space exploration, emphasizing the critical uncertainties and forces that will shape its trajectory and underscore its significance. As the future of European space exploration is anticipated to incorporate elements from each of these scenarios, strategic foresight is essential for current decision-making that aspires to be alert, enduring and forward-thinking.
Art is a lens through which we can explore uncertainty and examine both the need for and limitations of human agency in an increasingly complex future. This publication explores the role of art as a unique and invaluable form of futures inquiry and showcases how art and futures studies interrelate and shape each other in various ways, drawing on examples and cases from international contemporary art, curators, art institutions, and futurists.
This report analyzes the role of board directors in achieving and maintaining organizational future-preparedness. It uncovers current practices, investigates the extent to which boardmembers think these are adequate, or what else may be done, and where the balance lies between directors and management executives in this matter. This study is conducted in together with Dr. Adam Gordon, Professor at Aarhus University, Denmark.
Our futures are shaped by the decisions we make in the present. By becoming more conscious of how our understanding of the future guides these decisions, both in a professional and personal setting, we can make choices that are better informed and less clouded by biases and misguided assumptions. This report is an exploration of how to enable future-ready decision-making in organisations, through strategic foresight, and more future-conscious decisions on an individual level, through fostering futures literacy and broader inclusion of the public in futures work in general. This report is made with contributions from Dr. Adam Gordon, Professor at Aarhus Universty, Denmark and Dr. Loes Damhof, UNESCO Chair in Futures Literacy in Higher Education. Interview with Pupul Bisht, founder of the Decolonising Futures Initiative
In this issue: Behaviour: Spotlight on selected behavioural patterns worldwide / Q&A: Paolo Rizzatto on inspiration and lifelong creativity / Article: Data dumb / Scenario article: Fat futures / Photo series: The Smart City Research Network: Portraits by Tilde Bay Kristoffersen / The Futurist: Nicklas Larsen / Column: The mobility pyramid / Column: The metaverse / Column: Compost futurism / Applied futurism: Teaching futures / Tech brief / Futures Past: The Red Net.
Companies and organisations are increasingly expected to play a greater role in solving some of the major global challenges and inter-connected crises facing us. Are they up to the task? In this report, we ask if we are shifting our focus from reactive compliance to proactive commitment when it comes to how and to what extent companies and organisations engage in societal causes. We discuss what ’doing good’ and corporate social responsibility mean today, outline crucial trends, and explore questions for the future. Interview with Jordi Passola, Chief of Marketing and Strategy at UNHCR
When we think about the future of health, we tend to think in terms of more medical technology, new and improved drugs and treatments, better health, and longer lives, continuing the steady century-long trend of life expectancy increasing two to three months every year. While all of the above will likely be true, several challenges lie ahead that will complicate the picture, as well as a range of opportunities that hold the potential to revolutionise health so that it becomes something radically different from today. In fact, if we are collectively to handle the challenges ahead, we need to fundamentally change how we think of and approach health (Commissioned by Novo Nordisk Business Innovation Garage).
The Nordic Health 2030 Movement was inspired by a workshop series in February 2019 where more than 30 leading decision makers across the met to explore future scenarios and how to best shape the future of health in the Nordics. This scenario process, facilitated by the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies, was initiated by Nordic Innovation as part of Nordic Innovation's Health, Demography and Quality of Life program. During this process, all participants acknowledged the need for and the value in turning towards preventive health and agreed to develop a collaborative network for achieving this goal.
SELECTED ARTICLES & MEDIA
FARSIGHT: An interview with Sophie Howe, outgoing Future Generations Commissioner for Wales
MandagMorgen: Verdens første kommissær for fremtidige generationer, Sophie Howe, har netop afsluttet sin syvårige embedsperiode. I dette interview reflekterer waliseren over politisk varetagelse af fremtidige interesser, hvad hun har opnået, og hvor meget arbejde det stadig kræver at gøre langsigtet tænkning til en del af politik.
Medium: On overcoming blind resistance to change and poverty of the imagination.
On overcoming blind resistance to change and poverty of the imagination.
MandgMorgen: Vores uddannelsessystem afspejler i høj grad undervisningsmetoder og færdigheder, der stammer fra den industrielle tidsalder, mener Instituttet for Fremtidsforskning. Men verden ændrer sig med stigende hast, og vi er nødt til at ruste børn og unge til at gå kritisk og konstruktivt ind i en stadig mere uforudsigelig fremtid.
FUTURES, PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL: This paper explores the concept of futures literacy and identifies some of the barriers to developing futures literacy in organisations. As research related to futures literacy is still in its infant stage, no existing research has identified barriers to developing futures literacy in organisations. This article aims to make that contribution to advance this field of study and provide understanding of where best to invest to overcome such barriers.
Kulturmonitor: Efter tidligere at have sat tænderne i industriens jordskred, erhvervslivets samfundsansvar og pandemiens åbning af nye døre – blandt meget andet – har den 50 år gamle, almennyttige og uafhængige tænketank Instituttet for Fremtidsforskning nu taget kunst- og kulturlivet under kærlig behandling.
Boghandlerforeningen: Instituttet for Fremtidsforskning har – på et yderst aktuelt tidspunkt, skulle man mene – udgivet en rapport om kunsten og fremtiden og hvad de kan give hinanden. Boghandlerforeningen har talt med projektleder Nichlas Larsen om rapporten, og vi kom omkring både science fictions rolle for virksomheders strategiudvikling og fremtidens kulturforbrugere.
APPLIED FUTURISM SERIES
Medium: The 'Applied Futurism' column explores the future as a source of hope, social innovation, and sustainable development across such domains as art, design, teaching, queerness, Africa and humanitarian aid and more together with pioneers in the futures field.