Strategic Foresight 2035 [English Version]
The aim of Strategic Foresight is to navigate the push from outside forces and the pull of a clear image of where one is heading. Reduce uncertainty and support decisionmakers as an orientation tool fine tuned to the complex context of their futures.
Executive Summary
This study provides an in-depth analysis of the future landscape of Foresight and its implications. It explores key trends, challenges, and opportunities that will shape the field over the next 10 years. The following are highlights of the main findings:
Strategic Foresight is key for navigating complex and uncertain futures. Until 2035 the uncertainty and complexity will only be increasing, giving rise to a Multi Crisis Environment and driving the demand for Strategic Foresight to address future challenges.
The acceleration of change, new technological possibilities as well as the influence of new generations, will reshape how decisions are made by shifting the focus away from linear developments and the expectations of a steady state ‘business as usual’.
Customer expectations in 2035 are rising. The role of Foresight institutions as lighthouses for the future, guiding organizations through turbulent times by example, will be crucial for sustained credibility. Furthermore, the need for an accelerated Time to Value, the deflationary pressures faced by the industry through AI, the validation of Foresight results, and the shift towards implementation-oriented approaches are important aspects of future customer expectations resulting also in the need to integrate AI in sales and marketing processes.
AI and automation in 2035 will be omnipresence for example as AI copilots – not just for decision-making processes but in consulting and Strategic Foresight itself. The value of datasets and natural language as primary interfaces are key, as well as the challenges posed by the explosion of AI-generated Foresight content, ushering in a new era of democratization in the field. However, there are also important limitations of AI to consider.
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2b AHEAD Future Study | September 2023