News about the Uk Foresight Programme
Issue 10 - November 2005
One - year - on reviews of Flooding and Cyber Trust projects
Two more of the Foresight projects that launched their findings and action plans last year have now had their one-year reviews. These reviews, chaired by a Minister from the lead department, allow the stakeholders to look back on the year since launch, to consider what has happened, and decide what to do next.
In September, Andy Burnham, Under Secretary of State at the Home Office, chaired the review of the Cyber Trust and Crime Prevention project. The project has impacted on policy, such as informing changes in the definition of fraud (Home Office), the development of a relevant Knowledge Transfer Network under DTI's new Technology Strategy the development of the UK Strategy for Information Assurance (Cabinet Office). Several networks and groups, such as the British Computer Society and IEE, have continued to explore the issues. The full review report is available here.
In October, Elliott Morley, Minister of State at Defra, chaired the review of the Flood and Coastal Defence project. The project has given stakeholders a better understanding of the potential scale of future flood risks and has helped to inform strategic planning and investment in managing them. It also considered the wide range of possible responses to these risks, the choice of which will depend on how the future unfolds. Stakeholders reported that the project is having a lasting impact on policy development in the UK, and a developing international audience. The full review report is available here.
Project News
Brain Science, Addiction and Drugs - the Aftermath
The Foresight Brain Science, Addiction and Drugs project, launched its findings earlier this year. View them here.
The Department of Health is leading a group of interested departments and has asked the Academy of Medical Sciences to take forward the issues relating to society, health, safety and the environment raised in the report, with a view to making specific recommendations for action.
Members of the project team have given presentations on the projects' findings at a number of events over the summer and the autumn, including in the USA, and are collaborating in a number of future events. One of these is the the 2006 James Martin Institute World Forum www.martininstitute.ox.ac.uk.
Leading scientists, scholars, business executives, policy makers, religious leaders and citizens will come together to explore the promises of technology (including cognition enhancers - one of the areas explored in the Foresight project) for life enhancement and extension in different parts of the world. On line registration for this event is now available at www.martininstitute.ox.ac.uk
Infectious Diseases - Foresight in Africa
As part of the international engagement work within the Detection and Identification of Infectious Diseases project, we held a Conference in Entebbe, Uganda in August, opened by the project sponsor Minister, Lord Bach from Defra, and focussing on the most important threats from infectious disease 10-20 years into the future. Full details are available from the project home page.
More FANs for Horizon Scanning
The FAN Club is a new forum where those who have an interest in horizon scanning and futures analysis can meet to exchange new ideas, innovative thinking and good practice. It is based in the Office of Science and Technology Horizon Scanning Centre (HSC), and is meeting in November 2005, and in February 2006. A new HSC newsletter, containing details of the FAN Club and other HSC activities, will be out shortly. To register to receive it, and to learn more about their work, see the Horizon Scannng Centre pages.
Full Steam Ahead Towards Intelligent Infrastructure Launch
The launch of the reports, findings and action plan for the Foresight Intelligent Infrastructure Systems project is planned for 26 January 2006, and will feature in the next edition of e-sight. See the project's home page.
Obesity gains pace
Our latest Foresight project, on Tackling Obesities: Future Choices is now deep into its scoping phase, and its full scope and objectives will be announced shortly. To register your interest, or to keep up to date with the project, visit the Project's home page.
Full list of Science Reviews Available
Most Foresight projects start with reviews of leading thinking in a wide range range of relevant disciplines
Now that we have launched the findings and action plans of five projects, we have accumulated a large library of these reviews, in both technical andshort non-technical versions. For a full list, bytopic and howto get them go to Science Reviews.
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