This workshop will explore and ‘demonstrate by doing’ the methods and tools now emerging for the Future-Oriented Collective Intelligence (FOCI) approach to foresight and strategic thinking.
We draw on the experience of Foresight 3.0, and the ongoing experiments at the Manchester Mind-Lab on the theory and practice of collective intelligence. Foresight 3.0 aims to enable and mobilize the FOCI, by working with a wider community of interest, deeper layers of meaning, and further horizons of change / transformation:

• within the foresight team – starting here with workshop participants 
• across the wider community of foresight sponsors / stakeholders / users etc.

Working through case studies on the conference theme of ‘emerging practices and cultures in FOCI’, we aim to explore by demonstration:

• What kinds of collective knowledge / FOCI can be mapped 
• Which methods and tools are most useful 
• How the wider FOCI can be enabled and supported
  

Workshop outcomes: shared examples and experience in FOCI methods and tools, collective knowledge mapping, ‘emerging practices and cultures’.

How does direct interaction with the brain work? The brain consists of a multitude of small nerve cells, so-called neurons. These neurons trigger a firework of electrical impulses with every subtle perception or thought. Even if these impulses are very weak, they can be measured with the help of sensitive sensors or even imitated by electrodes. These devices can be summarized under the term neurotechnologies. Will this make humans part of the machine?

Neurotechnologies are devices that can directly access, observe, analyze, modify or stimulate the human nervous system. These technologies promise significant improvements for people with diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's as well as mental illnesses or in stroke rehabilitation. However, in addition to medical applications, there are also visions of enhancing human abilities, expanding consciousness and even merging mind and machine. 

The prospect of enhancing human capabilities beyond natural limits raises critical questions. The long-term effects are unknown and the dangers arising from potentially discriminatory or abusive use of these technologies are great. Questions arise about the ownership of neural data, the potential for surveillance, commercial manipulation or political influence, as well as equality, inclusion and access, and even the very definition of what it means to be human. The topic underlines the need for a broad-based social discourse.

In the future dialog Re-Engineering Human Nature, these and other critical points will be discussed with an interested audience and invited experts on two panels. The first panel will deal with human rights, ethics and the safety of neurotechnologies. Afterwards, film screenings will provide impulses for the second panel on the topic of myths and visions of neurotechnologies. With experts from various disciplines, we offer a comprehensive insight into this ambivalent technology and discuss new opportunities, potential challenges and the role of art in this socially relevant field of technology. The event is a collaboration between the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), the Ars Electronica NeuroExperience Lab, the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA) and the University of Art and Design Linz.

The AIT Austrian Institute of Technology is Austria's largest non-university research institution and is the specialist among European research institutions for the central infrastructure topics of the future. With its seven centres, the AIT sees itself as a highly specialised research and development partner for industry in the fields of Energy, Health & Bioresources, Digital Safety & Security, Vision, Automation & Control, Low-Emission Transport, Technology Experience and Innovation Systems & Policy. Around 1,500 employees throughout Austria conduct research to develop the tools, technologies and solutions for Austria's economy.

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 was at the centre of the Futures4Europe Conference that took place on 15-16 May 2025 in Vienna, Austria, at the Skydome in Vienna’s thrilling 7th district.   

We are deeply grateful to all 140 participants from 32 countries who joined us for these two days of exploration, dialogue, and inspiration. To gain an overview of the diverse themes, methods, and perspectives presented, you may consult the book of abstracts.

We also invite you to revisit the highlights of the conference through our photo gallery and short wrap-up video. 

Feel free to share them with your networks! We look forward to meeting again in 2026.

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. 

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