Strategic foresight is the systematic, structured and participatory approach used by organisations, governments and territories to anticipate long-term changes, understand emerging trends and inform present decisions that strengthen resilience and adaptability. According to UNESCO, the OECD and the European Commission, Strategic Foresight does not aim to predict the future but to explore multiple possible, plausible and preferable futures in order to guide strategic action.
The discipline combines the analysis of megatrends, weak signals, emerging risks and long-range dynamics with methodologies such as scenario building, backcasting, horizon scanning, speculative design, cross-impact analysis and participatory futures processes. Its value lies in helping organisations understand how socio-economic, technological and environmental systems may evolve and what these trajectories imply for strategic decision-making.
Strategic foresight enhances the ability to anticipate disruptions, identify emerging opportunities, transform business models and support long-term planning. The OECD highlights its relevance in improving institutional agility, reducing short-term bias and strengthening coherent policy design.
Within organisations, strategic foresight integrates with strategic planning, competitive intelligence, innovation management and risk governance. It also aligns with UNESCO’s Futures Literacy, fostering cultures that see uncertainty as a space for creativity, experimentation and anticipatory thinking.
Foresight exercises may include co-creation workshops, scenario simulations, future narratives, global trend assessments and the development of futures radars. These tools enable organisations to identify tipping points, explore market reconfigurations and understand how technological, political, social and environmental forces may converge to create disruptive futures.
Ultimately, strategic foresight supports the development of future-oriented strategies that strengthen resilience, improve long-term decision-making and help organisations thrive in complex and rapidly evolving environments.
