Horizon Scanning Centre

Welcome to the Horizon Scanning Centre

In its Science and Innovation Investment Framework 2004-2014, the Government committed to establishing a Centre of Excellence in Horizon Scanning, to be based in the Foresight directorate of the Government Office for Science. Work on establishing the Centre started in November 2004. Its output is feeding directly into cross-government priority-setting and strategy formation. The work of the Centre is strongly informed by the science base and by the best of existing work in Government, the private sector and elsewhere.

Aim and Scope: The Centre's aims are:

To inform departmental and cross-departmental decision-making
To support horizon scanning carried out by others inside government
To spot the implications of emerging science and technology and enable others to act on them

The three work-streams of the Centre are:

Regular cross-Government strategy horizon scans, to underpin existing horizon scanning and inform cross-Government priorities
Project work with stakeholders: demand-led opportunities for joint working on specific issues with stakeholders (departments or groups of departments)
Provision of tools and support to spread good practice in departmental horizon scanning, including coaching, providing advice, brokering agreements and creating synergies that make the best use of resources and facilitate capacity-building.

Our Work

The HSC covers a wide range of activities. Examples of our work include the following:

Good Practice: we have published a toolkit which is based on the work of the Foresight programme since 2002.

Strategic Horizon Scans: two complementary scans looking ahead up to 50 years. The Sigma Scan covers future issues and trends across the full public policy agenda. The Delta Scan is an overview of future science and technology issues and trends

Wider Implications of Science and Technology (WIST): an expert and stakeholder appraisal combined with a public-facing engagement process, to explore the wider implications of new and emerging areas of science and technology.

FAN Club: the Futures' Analysts Network. The FAN Club is a forum where those who have an interest in horizon scanning and futures analysis can meet to exchange new ideas, innovative thinking and good practice. Meetings, which are open to all, are held four times a year.

ForeSight