News about the Uk Foresight Programme
Issue 1 - June 2003
Welcome to the first edition of e-sight, a quarterly newsletter to keep you up-to-date with the latest developments of the Foresight projects. e-sight replaces Vision, our hard copy magazine which we shared with LINK.
The new Foresight programme is now fully up to speed, with four projects running. Each article below is linked to further information on a project, giving you the chance to find out more and, if you wish, take the opportunity to contact us, tell us your views or take part in the project.
Project News
Cognitive Systems - Linking Brain Science and Computing
In a specially commissioned article, Michael Kenward, "writer in residence" on the Foresight Cognitive Systems Project, describes how the project - which brings together leading experts in life sciences and physical sciences who are working in similar areas - is providing new insights. While exploring ways of setting inter-disciplinary research agendas the teams are working on areas from a theory of forgetting to planning processes.
Flood & Coastal Defence - Impacts and Responses to Climate Change
This project takes a fresh look at the impacts of future flood risk for the UK over the next 30-100 years. Engaging a wide range of disciplines, the project has identified and ranked the main drivers of risk. These range from land use to wave surges and are listed and ranked in the project's first report.
The results of the next phase, exploring possible impacts in 2030 and 2100, will be presented at an event in London on 7 July. If you would like to attend, please see here.
Cyber Trust and Crime Prevention - Next Generation ICT Risks and Rewards
This project is exploring the application and implications of next generation information technologies in areas such as identity and authenticity, surveillance, system robustness, security and information assurance and the basis for effective interaction and trust between people and machines. It recently held its first major workshop and will be scoping the project in more detail over the next weeks.
Exploiting the Electromagnetic Spectrum - Exploiting Emerging Science
Our newest project has strong links to the innovation agenda. It is looking at areas of adventurous science across the spectrum, such as terahertz or metamaterials, to identify specific potential areas of opportunity. It will assess these against UK capabilities, and develop plans of action to help UK exploit them. The team of experts has drawn up briefs on 20 topics, and would welcome your views.
Examples of Outcomes from Foresight, 1999-2002
The second round of Foresight began in April 1999 See here for more details.
Work was taken forward through a combination of 3 thematic and 10 sector panels, each looking at the future for a particular area of the economy. A range of other activities engaged other sections of society. This set of short reports outlines some of the activities within and resulting from Foresight between 1999 and 2002, and provides further information, contacts and reports on progress.
We hope you have found e-sight useful. If you know of anyone else who would like to receive it, please register a new interest.
Other links