Strategic foresight in EU R&I policy

The recent increase of unexpected crises and the complexity and urgency of the extraordinary policy challenges they give rise to, highlights the fact that foresight must not be a luxury. Rather foresight is an essential pre-requisite for proactive, informed and collective action. Foresight supports deeper reflections on where policy changes are needed, guides required transitions, and helps engaging and empowering citizens. The SFRI Expert Group puts forward suggestions on how to use foresight more strategically and with more impact on the R&I policy process, which should head towards a shift from short-term to long-term perspectives and policy choices. Within this strategy foresight does not only anticipate changes, provide visioning and suggest scenarios, but it underpins the building of new innovation ecosystems.