Our aim is to provide visions of the future using robust science to be used by policymakers to inform government policy and strategy, and to improve how science and technology are used within Government and by society.

Foresight brings together key people, knowledge and ideas to look beyond normal planning horizons to identify potential opportunities from new science and technologies and actions to help realise those opportunities. We are recognised as world leaders in our field.

The programme focuses on three to four areas at one time, examining either a key issue where science might be part of the solution or a cutting-edge scientific topic where potential applications and technologies are yet to be realised.

A high-level stakeholder group, comprising senior decision-makers and budget-holders from relevant Departments, Research Councils and other organisations, oversee all projects. The group is chaired by the Minister from the lead Department, and is responsible for agreeing an action plan, which is usually published alongside the findings and reports of the project. Each project is led at a senior level by the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser. Projects usually last between 18 months and two years.

Each project reviews research literature and undertakes horizon scanning, taking into account relevant social and economic trends. Participants are supported by in-house teams, including individuals with relevant research experience, who are able to help pull together information and make the right cross-connections. A network of scientific experts and stakeholders also work closely with the Foresight project teams.

Futures techniques are used to discover trends within society and currently known technologies. It involves using tools such as scenario planning, and and the range of tools employed can vary depending on the scope of the project. A Foresight project does not predict the future, but on the basis of a thorough understanding and analysis of the subject in its broadest perspective and an awareness of different ways the future may develop, we can identify a range of possible outcomes. The purpose of this is to assist decision makers now on how their decisions might affect the future, and what decisions they need to consider in the light of the possible impact the identified outcome may have on society in the future.