Previous projects: Strategic foresight and visionary leadership

Bastu – Sixth-Wave Business Enabling for Entrepreneurs and Businesses

Bastu was a business enabler for entrepreneurs and businesses in the Turku region.

Our goal is to enhance your business with new, collaborative opportunities that utilise the philosophical tenets of the sixth wave along with the core competences of our participating companies.

Further information: Keijo Koskinen

Foresight and Future Generations in Law-Making (FORGE)

Strengthening foresight and the role of future generations in Finnish lawmaking

From an international comparison, Finland already has an advanced national foresight system and can be regarded as a pioneer in future-regarding policymaking. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of using foresight and considering future generations as a part of lawmaking. Such improvement could be achieved by developing and upgrading the existing institutions and practices and by making more incremental changes in practices, modes of interaction, and attitudes. For example, foresight should be conducted more as a continuous activity, and future generations’ interests and rights should be considered more systematically in legislative processes, while acknowledging the plurality of future interests.

This research supported the preparation of the second part of the Government Report on the Future. Foresight and Future Generations in Law-Making (FORGE) -project was part of the implementation of the 2021 Government plan for analysis, assessment and research. The project was carried out by the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University during the year 2022.

Further information: Toni Ahlqvist, FFRC

Project reports:

Forest-based bioeconomy, foresight and futures knowledge (METUMO)

Forest-based bioeconomy, foresight and futures knowledge (METUMO) project introduces futures research concepts and futures workshop methods for the needs of the forest-based sector professionals.

School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland and Finland Futures Research Centre are collaborating to implement the Forest-based bioeconomy, foresight and futures knowledge (METUMO) project. METUMO organizes a series of workshops that aim to develop the futures capabilities of the forest sector and associated sectors. The project aims to utilize foresight research knowledge and distill it into futures-conscious foresight action with a progressive ambition. One of the central outputs of the project is a self-study material package, which helps the forest-based bioeconomy sector develop futures literacy and foresight capabilities.

The principal investigator of the project is prof. Teppo Hujala at University of Eastern Finland.

The project is funded by Metsämiesten Säätiö Foundation.

Further information: Osku Haapasaari & Katriina Siivonen

Project website

Future Images and Social Impacts of Finnish Livestock Production (KOTIETU)

The aim of the project is to model and evaluate the social effects of alternative development paths of Finnish livestock production. The project will provide the information needed to support the strategic choices and management decisions of food business operators on the effects of different livestock production intensity options on arable use, the environment, the regional economy and foreign trade.

Project is funded by the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Finnish food industry companies during 1.1.2018–31.3.2021. 

Further information: Tuomas Kuhmonen

National Foresight 2020

Finland has a highly developed and internationally recognized national foresight system. As the pace of change in the operating environment accelerates, the importance of foresight increases. However, in contrast to the changing circumstances the foresight work conducted in the Finnish foresight system is one-sided: Futures information is mainly collected from one’s own environment and for the majority of actors, foresight is based on forecasting likely developments rather than exploring new opportunities or surprises.

This report describes the current state of Finnish national foresight activities and proposes measures to improve them. The analysis is based on questionnaire to 78 organizations (44% response rate), 15 interviews, and data collected in three workshops between February 1, 2019 and January 31, 2020.

The construction of national foresight system began in the 1990s, and it has been systematically developed since 2004. In the 2020s, the operating environment and complex challenges are changing ever more rapidly. Therefore, we need more foresight that is looking at alternative future developments and desirable futures, and actively seeking to promote the desired systemic changes.

Based on the study, six areas for improvement are presented to update national foresight to match the needs of 2020’s developing actors’ foresight capabilities;

  1. strengthening collaboration and expanding the foresight ecosystem;
  2. utilising global perspectives and networks;
  3. clarifying ecosystem actors’ roles and strengthening coordination; 
  4. strengthening the communication and flow of foresight information;
  5. linking foresight more closely to decision-making.

Further information: Burkhard Auffermann, Laura Pouru & Matti Minkkinen.

Kansallinen ennakointi Suomessa 2020
Pouru, Laura; Minkkinen, Matti; Auffermann, Burkhard; Rowley, Christopher; Malho, Maria; Neuvonen, Aleksi (2020)
http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-287-948-6

The Place of the Countryside in the Sustainable Society of the Future (MAKE)

The project is implemented by the FFRC and the University of Jyväskylä's School of Economics. Project is funded by the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry during 1.6.2020-31.12.2021.

Further information: Tuomas Kuhmonen

The Vision of the City of Turku's Competence and Lifelong Learning

The goal of the vision process is to create an innovative and diverse vision of competence and lifelong learning for the City of Turku. At the heart of vision work are changing requirements for competence and professional skills in the context of a work change.

Further information: Johanna Ollila, Leena Jokinen, Anne Nieminen & Sari Miettinen