The Museum of Futures was created in August 2026 as a methodological tool by the HorizonX Institute team and partners: Alina Andreieva (International Business Manager and Senior Facilitator HorizonX), Robert Collins (Business Consultant and Educator), and Michal Collins (Software Developer). It was developed in response to a need we often face in foresight projects, both in training and in-house corporate projects: how to unlock imagination.

One of the biggest struggles in foresight is daring to imagine alternative futures. The reason is not that people lack imagination, but that we are full of biases and assumptions. Our brains have filters that protect us from being overloaded with information. As we cannot process everything, the brain selects what seems “relevant” to us. But what does it actually select? Familiar things, safe things, comfortable things, things we already know. Our comfort zone and stability help us survive, both mentally and physically. We cannot live in constant frustration and uncertainty, right? That’s how our brains work. And that’s how foresight does not work.

The Museum of Futures gently gives us permission to see more, with fewer filters (or at least to notice more than we usually do). Because the biggest problem for society is not necessarily the lack of information or the invisibility of signals. It is our tendency to ignore them. Why? Because once we notice them, we may have to change something. We need to take action, make new, uncomfortable and sometimes unconventional decisions. The Museum of Futures is like developing empathy towards change: we may like it or not, but we need to understand what is going on.

How does the Museum work?
Normally, in museums, we see artefacts from the past. Here, we see artefacts from the Futures. They are all different and may come from completely different possible futures. Some may even contradict each other. And they come without a detailed explanation of why they appeared or what exactly they were used for. Because there is no way to predict one exact future. The Museum is not about predictions. It is about provocations. There are 10 galleries: Work & Skills, Education, Economy & Finance, Climate, Technology, Security, Governance, Urban Futures, Health and Energy.

Poster illustration of the first insights in strategic foresight within the LUKE project. 

The Futures Wheel is a participatory method to explore possible future direct implications and knock-on effects of a chosen change factor. This booklet presents a basic structure for a Futures Wheel workshop, which can be further tailored to specific needs. 

The Futures Wheel exploration starts with imagine a future where a selected change factor has become a reality. The next step is to describe potential direct implications of this development, followed by knock-on effects resulting from the direct implications. The workshop ends with identifying, for example, emerging themes, risks, opportunities, or other aspects for further reflection or analysis.

Explore the Futures Wheel workshop and download materials for your workshop here. 

Grounded in strategic foresight and systems thinking, the course equips participants with future-oriented tools such as:

01 Horizon Scanning
02 Future Wheels
03 Scenario Planning

Starting from a real strategic challenge, participants explore multiple possible futures, uncover emerging trends and systemic shifts, and translate insights into strategic perspectives for decision-making.

Learning objectives

01
Navigate uncertainty using foresight tools
Apply strategic foresight and futures thinking to explore multiple possible futures, move beyond linear forecasting and work confidently with uncertainty in real business and organizational contexts.

02
Anticipate risks and opportunities early
Identify emerging trends, weak signals and key drivers of change through horizon scanning and impact analysis, enabling earlier and better-informed strategic responses.

03
Think systemically about future challenges
Use systems thinking to understand the interconnectedness of global, organizational, and societal systems, and to assess how changes in one area influence others.

04
Make better long-term strategic decisions
Build and use future scenarios to test strategic options, support decision-making, and design resilient, flexible, and sustainable strategies aligned with long-term goals.

Course takeaways
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

Develop and implement strategic foresight processes within their organizations.

Apply systems thinking to analyze complex challenges and design sustainable solutions.

Build and use future scenarios to guide informed decision-making.

Foster a culture of innovation and resilience, adaptable to emerging trends and disruptions.

Workshop overview 

What is this bootcamp about?
This Bootcamp is designed to empower teams and professionals to kick-start bold innovation projects and foster positive transformative at a large scale, within their teams or companies.

The learning experience equips participants with practical tools and frameworks to anticipate future trends, spot emerging opportunities and turn uncertainty into actionable innovation projects. By blending foresight, strategy and hands-on experimentation, the course helps teams design resilient, future-ready solutions they can apply right away.

Not last, the bootcamp helps participants close the ‘reality gap’ between customers and organisations, which should be the number one priority of any innovative company.

About this course
Future Thinking, Systems Thinking and Design Thinking
Learn from internationally recognised innovation experts what these methodologies (and much more) are all about.

Fundamental understanding
The main goal is providing participants with a fundamental understanding of these innovation tools and frameworks, as well as the appropriate context for using them.

Alternative tools and entrepreneurial results
Presenting alternative tools for various stages of an innovation process, enabling professionals to rise above the content and combine different approaches to reach innovative business results as successful entrepreneurs do.

Learning-by-doing method
Participants will work on a real project / a real challenge, learning by doing and being able to apply their new learnings in their job right away.

As the future grows more complex and uncertain, young people in Cambodia are learning to navigate it with curiosity, creativity, and clarity. In September 2024, the European Union Delegation (EUD) to Cambodia hosted a 2.5-hour online foresight workshop with its Youth Sounding Board (YSB), using the Youth4Foresight Toolkit. The session introduced strategic foresight tools to help youth anticipate change, collaborate on ideas, and shape sustainable futures. Using Miro, participants explored trends related to climate action, public service transformation, and governance. 

Why futures thinking matters

Cambodian youth are facing a web of intersecting challenges - from climate risks and water scarcity to inequities in education, healthcare, and digital access. Futures thinking offers them a way to not only react but lead proactively. The ability to think strategically about long-term possibilities, and act accordingly, is becoming a critical skill. 

Methodology

Prior to the session, youth had participated in an introductory workshop to familiarize themselves with key foresight concepts. From that, five trends emerged as most relevant to Cambodia: shifting geopolitical power, green and digital transitions, resource scarcity, new governance systems, and "Basic Services 3.0" (health, education, justice).

During the main session, participants selected resource scarcity and basic services as the two core trends to explore through the Futures Wheel. They mapped i mmediate and secondary impacts—such as income inequality, food insecurity, and weak infrastructure—then identified strategies like improved public-private partnerships, climate legislation, and innovation in resource use to build long-term resilience.

Next, youth moved into a Three Horizons exercise, which helped them ref lect on current realities, envision desirable futures, and chart a pathway of innovation and action between the two.

Horizon 1 highlighted structural challenges: limited access to clean water, energy, and internet; weak healthcare; unskilled labor; and poor transport. These reinforced the sense that "business as usual" is no longer sustainable.

Horizon 2 focused on transitional innovations already emerging. Youth emphasized the importance of public-private collaboration, digital literacy, green skills, and inclusive transport. Highly supported ideas included promoting green tourism, separate city bus lanes, and youth networks.

Horizon 3 captured bold visions for a more inclusive Cambodia—with universal access to clean water and air, waste-free cities, thriving green public spaces, and stronger digital governance. 

Participants also identified “Seeds of the Future”—existing initiatives like food banks, grassroots movements, and water treatment projects—that reflect Horizon 3 values but need scaling up.

Results & Discussion

Participants reported a mindset shift:

🗣️ “Before this, I didn’t give much thought to the future. Now, I find it essential for both my career and our community.”
🗣️ “Foresight helps me understand, predict, and align my work with long-term goals.”
🗣️ “The Three Horizons model was simple but powerful.”

While the session was well received, some challenges were noted:

- The online format limited peer-to-peer engagement.
- Some participants were hesitant to speak up; deeper facilitation could help.
- The single-session format was dense, splitting it into two shorter sessions may enhance reflection.
- Still, the session sparked high engagement and showed foresight’s value in building youth leadership and agency. 

Looking Ahead

This Cambodia workshop is part of the broader Youth4Foresight initiative supported by INTPA. It signals growing momentum for inclusive, future-focused engagement in EU partner countries. Cambodian youth aren’t just imagining the future - they’re preparing to lead it. 

Curious about how Europe’s demographic trends may transform the R&I landscape? 

On 10 December 2025, DG Research & Innovation hosted a hybrid event at the DG RTD Library in Brussels to present the Foresight-on-Demand (FOD) study: “The Demographic Turn: Actions Needed for Research, Innovation and Policy in Europe?”

FOD team members guided the audience through: 

• Background data showing a shrinking youth population, a declining workforce, and growing fiscal pressures on R&I funding. 
• A six-step Foresight Process combining horizon scanning, scenario-building, and windtunneling to anticipate future challenges. 
• Four Scenarios illustrating different pathways for Europe’s R&I system. 
• Strategic actions to protect fundamental research, foster lifelong learning, strengthen regional innovation, and build societal trust in technology.

👏 A big thank you to the panelists and speakers:

• Erik Canton (Deputy Head of Unit – Common R&I Strategy and Foresight Service, DG Research & Innovation)
• Nicola Francesco Dotti (Chief Economist Unit – Common R&I Strategy and Foresight Service, DG Research & Innovation)
• Brikena Xhomaqi (The Lifelong Learning Platform)
• Alex Petropoulos (Centre for Future Generations)
• Thomas Estermann (European University Association)
• Maciej Krysztofowicz (EU policy Lab, Joint Research Centres)
• Viola Peter (FOD team, Technopolis Group)
• Michal Nadziak (FOD team, 4CF)
• Katarzyna Figiel (FOD team, 4CF) 

And to all participants for an engaging exchange on how to build a more adaptive and resilient EU R&I system. 

In case you missed the event, you can find all the materials below.

We are a futures and forecasting consultancy, composed of data, digital and policy experts. We are trusted and approved suppliers to both the public and private sector.

The Future of Sustainable Fashion event took place on Monday, April 14, 2025, at the MOMus - Museum of Modern Art in Thessaloniki, Greece. The workshop was implemented surrounded by the relative with the subject exhibition Collective Threads: Anna Andreeva at the Red Rose Silk Factory. This initiative was implemented by Helenos Consulting, a partner of the Eye of Europe Project, and aimed at engaging domain professionals, including foresight and fashion experts.

This is the eighth report from the ESPAS horizon scanning process which looks at “signals of change” – emerging trends and
issues – that may appear marginal today but could become important for the EU in the future.

Read all the Issues here.  

Our societies are facing increasingly complex sets of risks, and the rapid pace of change is challenging existing governance systems. There is a growing acknowledgement of the need to transform current approaches to policymaking and decision-making to become more futureoriented in support of anticipatory action and building long-term resilience.

The UN Summit of the Future, held in September 2024, marked a pivotal moment in global governance. The Pact for the Future, including its annexes on a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations, was adopted by the UN General Assembly by consensus and committed to a broad range of priorities to ensure that the multilateral system is better able to
address the realities of today and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow.

To contribute to fostering a culture of anticipation and preparedness, and to building a multilateral system that remains relevant for current and future generations, the UN Futures Lab/Global Hub and the International Science Council (ISC) have collaborated to better understand the concrete and transformational role of futures thinking and strategic foresight in informing decision-making and action. Futures thinking and strategic foresight are key to helping us address complex issues and deal with significant uncertainty – and to embedding long-term perspectives that consider policy implications on future generations.

Drawing on case studies from the Global South , this joint paper demonstrates the versatility of foresight practices with a focus on tangible actions for decision-makers and policymakers. It also illustrates how these approaches can support anticipatory governance and resilience building, offering lessons learned and practical recommendations.

The selection of 14 case studies presented in this report reflect balance across geographies, themes, sectors, stakeholders, and foresight tools. The case studies illustrate a range of impacts, primarily through a typology of approaches by desired outcomes as outlined below:

📌Local and Indigenous Knowledge, Sources, and Practices

        📌Building Local Capacities and Durable Solutions from Community-Led Initiatives

        📌Multistakeholder Partnerships and Collaborations

        📌Organizational Development

        📌Sector-Wide Policy Development and Innovation

        📌Futures Empowered by Technological Advancements and Innovation

        📌Improved Social Outcomes/Social Well-Being for Marginalized Communities

        📌Rebuilding Narratives

🔗Source: UN Futures Lab/Global Hub and the International Science Council (2025). Futures Thinking and Strategic Foresight in Action: Insights from the Global South, New York. unfutureslab.org/project/futures-thinking-and-strategic-foresight-in-action-insights-from-the-global-south

The World Futures Studies Federation offers its standards to institutions interested in achieving accreditation in futures studies. Institutions offering programmes which meet the Federation’s standards will be credentialed as an Accredited Foresight Programme. Accreditation will extend for a period of five (5) years. Review of accreditation will be available every five (5) years to ensure programmes continue to maintain high quality standards of the Federation.


We provide accreditation only to education providers that have been recognized by the relevant department or ministry of education in their country as a tertiary education provider.

How To Apply: https://wfsf.org/accreditation-services/ 

The Eye of Europe project conducted a pilot workshop focused on Aging and Assisted Living Technologies (AALT) to examine their potential impact on European society and research and innovation (R&I) policy, particularly in the context of demographic changes such as aging populations and increased chronic health issues. The workshop aimed to anticipate the societal and policy implications of integrating smart and digital technologies into assisted living and care for older adults. Using the futures wheel method, participants explored future developments across three main areas: institutional long-term care, home-based care, and the inclusion of individuals with special needs in the workplace. The workshop was structured around three future assumptions for the year 2035, envisioning that AALT will become standard practice in long-term care facilities, widely used in private households, and successfully integrated in workplaces to support employees with special needs. Through this anticipatory approach, the workshop identified overarching effects of AALT on society and highlighted the importance of these technologies in shaping future policy and innovation strategies. This workshop was part of a broader series of foresight pilots designed to engage diverse stakeholders, test foresight methodologies, and contribute lessons to the Eye of Europe community and its online foresight platform. The attached report summarizes the results of the workshop and discusses the findings in the context of Europe R&I policy.

On May 20, 2025, the international workshop “Eye of Europe: Aging and Assisted Living Technologies (AALT)” took place at the headquarters of VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH in Berlin. The event was organized within the framework of the EU-funded project Eye of Europe, which aims to strengthen the integration of foresight methods into European research and innovation (R&I) policy-making.
The workshop’s objective was to analyze the societal impacts and potential of assistive technologies for aging, from both demographic and technological innovation perspectives. It particularly focused on the relevance of AALT for future policy strategies across the European Research Area (ERA).
23 international experts from academia, policy, civil society, social care, engineering, and business took part in the event. Two keynote contributions from the fields of technology foresight (Dr. Simone Ehrenberg-Silies, VDI/VDE-IT) and smart health (Christian Gräff, Smart Health Living Center Berlin) set the stage. Participants then applied the “Futures Wheel” foresight method to systematically map direct and indirect effects of technological developments in the AALT field.
The Futures Wheel proved to be a highly effective tool for visualizing complex cause-and-effect relationships under uncertainty and initiating future-oriented planning processes. The workshop offered an interdisciplinary platform for exchange, discussion, and strategic foresight.
The program was complemented by an informal pre-event on May 19, which included a visit to the Futurium museum and a joint dinner at a traditional Berlin restaurant.

This policy brief provides insights into the thematic areas addressed in the first five Eye of Europe workshops. It also informs about the upcoming workshops and the futures4europe platform, the online home of the European foresight community, where visitors can explore a rich collection of foresight projects, showcase their work, and discover foresight-related upcoming events.

This report sums up recent developments in neurotechnology, that is, technology that can read and modify activity from the central nervous system. Some devices record information from the brain, and others deliver stimulation to the brain (and some do both).
These technologies are rapidly advancing and are likely to have a profound impact on various aspects of society. In the near future, neurotechnology is set to revolutionise the way we approach a range of policy areas, from healthcare, education, employment, law enforcement and security, to more obvious areas such as technology, digital and research.
The report analyses advances in the technologies for monitoring and stimulating the brain, some of which are incorporated into neurotechnology devices. It acts as a horizon-scan of new and emerging uses of these technologies, and takes these as inputs to pose a range of questions for the consideration of policymakers.

Read more from the blogpost by the author.

WE HAVE A SOCIAL MISSION: TO STIMULATE CRITICAL THINKING ABOUT EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.
We focus on Futures & Foresight (Futures Thinking / Futures Studies & Strategic Foresight), with a specialization in Technology Foresight and ETS, Emerging Technologies Scanning. We are also dedicated to Futures Literacy, which involves the theoretical and practical literacy of Futures Studies and Futures Thinking. Through a Slow Journalism model, we disseminate and promote knowledge of emerging technologies, analyzing their potential impacts on our possible and alternative futures.

Futures thinking is in our DNA. SAMI was created as the St Andrews Management Institute in 1989, as a joint venture between Shell, the pioneers in scenario planning, and St Andrews University. That powerful mix of academic rigour and practical delivery continues in work and with our people today: Experienced practitioners, world-renowned futures authors, and consultants with first-hand experience of the public sector and the challenges facing it.

SAMI was commissioned by the Government Office for Science to overhaul its Futures Toolkit. We have reviewed and re-written many of the core tools, adding new ones and advising on more advanced techniques.

SAMI Consulting Ltd are futures domain specialists. We have 30 years’ experience of working internationally, with the European Commission and with HM Government on futures projects. We understand the specific needs of Government in formulating and reaching decisions at both the policy and delivery levels. We have worked with the Cabinet Office, the Government Office for Science and HMG central departments; agencies; Local Government, Local Enterprise Partnerships, NDPBs, police forces and security agencies, universities and charities.

We work with you using a wide range of foresight tools including scenario planning. We identify
major drivers of change impacting your organisation, develop different futures and test alternative
strategies. This participative approach builds capability in your team, enabling them to become
more innovative and more able to react rapidly to unexpected change.

We offer the full range of Futures capability from gathering intelligence, to making sense of it, to
testing and developing your strategy, making decisions and taking action. We use the full range of
Futures and Foresight tools, conduct our own research and maintain our own knowledge acquisition
mechanisms. This means we can deliver a faster, tailored and more sophisticated response to your
needs and avoid ‘reinventing the wheel.’

SAMI’s experienced facilitators are adept at managing the unique challenges of futures workshops.
We enable participants to step outside their present-bias into a futures-mode of thinking

This Eye of Europe Foresight Starter video introduces viewers to the Futures Wheel, a tool of futures research and foresight. The video briefly explains the history of the method, describes how faciliators can carry out exercises with Futures Wheels, and discusses why the method is a valuable component of the foresight and futures thinking toolbox. If you are organizing or participating in a Futures Wheel exercise, this video is an essential introduction to the method.

The Futures Wheel method is particularly effective for identifying non-linear relationships and the long-term implications of trends. It can be used to broaden discussion around a given development, sensing out towards the implications of the implications, extending the very boundaries of what we can imagine.

As an example of use, the video uses the 1st order, 2nd order, and 3rd order implications of accessible AI tools, which, for example, enables that "Students use AI to write essays".

We help people and organisations imagine, work with, and shape their future. 

CIFS is one of the worlds oldest think tanks exclusively focusing on foresight. CIFS teach very popular courses in foresight, gives key notes and launch various initiatives and do research projects. CIFS is a self-owned think tank, completely independent of special interests. 

For years, the world has been described as being in a state of perma-crisis. As a federal enterprise working in the fields of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is strongly affected by the political and economic environment in which it operates. This is why it is important for GIZ to understand the underlying drivers of change and possible future developments so that it can prepare for the future and the challenges it will face, ultimately making the organization and its staff more resilient.

With its broad network of staff and international experts in over 120 partner countries, GIZ is well equipped to monitor and differentiate relevant signals and developments. At headquarters, a dedicated foresight team addresses future issues at a corporate level and contributes to the company's strategic decision-making.

GIZ’ foresight report 2024

Sustainable development is GIZ’s core business. The 2030 Agenda provides the framework for GIZ’s global activities. As the year 2030 is getting closer, the question is: will the negotiations on a new agenda be successful? But one thing is clear: any negotiation process and subsequent implementation will be increasingly shaped by geopolitical factors. This is why, the 2024 foresight report of GIZ, focuses on geopolitics, sustainable development and the global agenda for the next decade.

In total, the views of more than 100 GIZ colleagues from GIZ's HQ and the field structure were incorporated into the report through various workshops. In addition, the report is based on extensive analysis of secondary sources, and interviews with more than 30 experts from various (international) institutions to ensure that the report also reflects perspectives from outside GIZ.

The scenarios (strongly condensed for this post) are based on the four archetypes of the Manoa School of Futures Studies and Jim Dator, which represent four recurring paths of human civilization found in all cultures. Each scenario is supplemented by two to three short wildcards, some of which are listed here as examples.

The EU Policy Lab is a space for cross-disciplinary exploration and innovation in policymaking. We apply collaborative, systemic and forward-looking approaches to help bringing the scientific knowledge of the Joint Research Centre into EU policymaking.

We experiment with the new, the unprecedented and the unknown. We seek to augment our understanding of the present, challenge and reinvent the way we think about the future.

The EU Policy Lab is also a mindset and a way of working together that combines stories and data, anticipation and analysis, imagination and action. We bring new practical and radical perspectives to tackle complex problems in a collaborative way. Together, we explore, connect and ideate to create better policies.

The Competence Centre on Foresight is part of the EU Policy Lab and supports EU policy making by providing strategic and future-oriented input, developing an anticipatory culture inside the European Commission, and continuously experimenting and developing different methods and tools to make foresight useful for decision making processes. 

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

Decision makers are faced with a world characterised by increasing turbulence, uncertainty, novelty, and ambiguity. These conditions make it more difficult to assess risks when making strategic decisions or planning for the long-term. This project from the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) EU Policy Lab starting 2023 presents a foresight approach to increase preparedness for unexpected developments and the risks they could create.

Foresight methods offer a way to consider and focus on risks that may be beyond the scope of traditional quantitative and qualitative risk assessment approaches. Several snapshots of the future depict different worlds that have undergone substantial changes as a consequence of emerging developments. An analysis of the risks inherent in the possible futures identified ten risk clusters that are relevant for decision makers, and mapped future developments that might lead to them.The same development pathways that could lead to risks can also create opportunities, and the study provides some examples. Decision makers face the challenge of mitigating the adverse effects of risks, while reaping the benefits of potential opportunities. This study also presents the results of a Delphi survey that evaluated the scope and severity of risks. Three of the 40 risks identified in this study were assessed to be potentially existential for humanity: 1) environmental degradation, 2) environmental disasters, and 3) loss of power by humans. The project started in 2023 and will run until 2024.

Download the Risks on the horizon report  

Read the blog post from the authors  

The Polycrisis Exploration Workshop

The Polycrisis tool draws on insights from the Risks on the horizon foresight study. Collective intelligence exercises such as this can bring new knowledge and broader perspectives into policy making, sparking new ideas, and helping to co-create impactful interdisciplinary solutions. The workshop facilitates strategic conversations about current and future risks, disasters, and polycrisis. 

You can use the tool to:
• Enhance risk awareness by exploring a broad spectrum of risks
• Map future polycrisis and explore their interconnected and cascading impacts in your area of work
• Identify policy interventions to mitigate risks. 

Read instructions and download the materials

Read more from EU Policy Lab blog