Mapping the Course: Eye of Europe Forsight Pilot Topics

The Eye of Europe (EoE) project has reached a key milestone: Through an interactive process, the consortium identified eleven topics that will be explored in Foresight Workshops over the next 16 months. These workshops will bring together experts, citizens, entrepreneurs, researchers, policymakers, journalists, and other stakeholders to examine issues of shared relevance across the European Research Area. They will be held in cities such as Madrid, Prague, Berlin, Bucharest, Paris, and Thessaloniki, as well as online.
The selected topics include the future of democracy, knowledge systems, industrial decarbonisation, emotional technologies, aging and assisted living, sustainable fashion, dietary change, and the role of science in geopolitical conflict. Two topics - knowledge and emotion ecosystems - will also be addressed through a dedicated futures survey.
The workshops serve two main purposes: First, to foster a vibrant community engaged in dialogue about Europe’s collective future, as envisioned by EoE coordinator Radu Gheorghiu. Second, to mobilize anticipatory intelligence around major research and innovation challenges, contributing to a deeper understanding of how R&I can shape responses to future societal questions.
The topic development process combined analysis of national R&I strategy documents, interviews with actors from across the European R&I landscape, and collaborative discussions among EoE partners. Led by Pier Francesco Moretti (CNR, Italy), the team aimed to go beyond surface-level trends and uncover underlying dynamics and cross-cutting issues.