Our Work
Topics for future Foresight projects are identified through a range of consultative processes A short-listed topic will:
- be future-oriented, and based upon science and technology;
- not duplicate work taking place elsewhere;
- have action-oriented outcomes that can be influenced by the work of the project;
- have buy-in and commitment from all key stakeholders; and
- involve cross-disciplinary science and technology, and cross-Departmental policy issues.
a project can start once there is support from the government department with a policy lead for the subject and agreement of a minister from that department to lead the project.
foresight has been operating this project-based approach since 2002, but the programme has been running since 1994. In the 1993 White Paper, 'Realising our Potential - A Strategy for Science, Engineering and Technology', the Government emphasised the importance of science, engineering and technology to wealth creation and the quality of life while sustaining a strong science and engineering base in the country. To support this, the Government announced that it would launch a Technology Foresight Programme, led by the Chief Scientific Advisor. The aim was to ensure closer interaction between scientists, industry and government through a programme, which sought to identify future opportunities and threats for science engineering and technology.
the first round of Foresight was launched in 1994 and brought together experts from industry, government and academia into 15 sector-facing Panels to explore opportunities in different sectors of the economy. Following widespread consultation involving some 10,000 people the panels published their first findings in 1995, identifying more than 360 recommendations for action. The second round of Foresight began in April 1999. This round moved beyond the technology focus of the first, to examine the opportunities that arose from the interaction of innovations in science and technology with wider social and market trends. All panels were asked to consider the implications of their findings for education, skills and training and sustainable development.
in 2000, Lord Sainsbury, the Science Minister, announced a review of the Foresight Programme aimed at building on the successes of the first two rounds, and ensuring that the programme was fully able to exploit the challenges of the future. The key findings of the review were that the programme needed to refocus on science and technology; be more flexible to take account of emerging developments; and to focus resources more clearly on where they would best add value. The programme moved away from a structure of standing panels. In order to allow issues to be targeted and picked up quickly, a new fluid, rolling programme of projects was established in April 2002.