Foresight Programme

Overview
The Foresight Programme is a part of the Government Office for Science within the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills. Created in 1994, the Programme helps the UK Government to think systematically about the future. It advises the government about how to ensure today's decisions are robust to future uncertainties.

By combining the latest science and evidence with futures analysis, it helps policy makers tackle complex issues with a better understanding of the potential opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. It does this in three ways:


 * Major Foresight Projects: in-depth two-year studies which build a comprehensive evidence base on major issues looking 20-80 years into the future
 * Policy Futures Projects: shorter projects which provide futures and evidence analysis to fill a specific gap in existing policy understanding
 * The Foresight Horizon Scanning Centre: training, toolkits and networks to strengthen futures thinking capacity and share best practice within and across government.

Its work is used to stimulate and inform the development of more effective strategies, policies and priorities at national and international levels.

Projects of the Foresight Programme have included:


 * Technology and Innovation Futures
 * The Future of Identity
 * The Future of Computer Trading in Financial Markets