FORESIGHT

To shine a light on the future, Sitra produces studies and other information to anticipate future trends and strengthen people’s thinking about the future and their ability to influence it.

Latest

What’s new.

Kuvituskuva, jossa paljon erilaisia ihmisiä ja eläimiä sekä sateenkaaren värit.
news

Democratizing futures is about building more inclusive futures

Megatrends 2023 cover
publications

Megatrends 2023

Kuvituskuvassa muun muassa nainen megafonin kanssa, koronavirus, Suomen kartta, tuulimyllyjä, sateenkaari.
news

Futures Barometer: Finns’ confidence in the future has not faltered even amidst crises

Opinion

A time of surprises calls for more nuanced foresight

In the photo: a hand holding a picture of Futures lens.
Tool

Futures Lens – a tool for democratising futures

Kuvituskuva, jossa paljon erilaisia ihmisiä ja eläimiä sekä sateenkaaren värit.
news

Democratizing futures is about building more inclusive futures

Hand holding Cards of Hope game
news

New game published: Cards of Hope encourage imagining better futures  

Hand holding Cards of Hope game
publications

Cards of Hope

Text: Megatrends 2023
news

Megatrends 2023 now also in English and Swedish

Tool

The insight and foresight Zoo

Tool

The Futures Triangle

Tool

Getting to grips with a trend

Kuvituskuvassa muun muassa nainen megafonin kanssa, koronavirus, Suomen kartta, tuulimyllyjä, sateenkaari.
news

Futures Barometer: Finns’ confidence in the future has not faltered even amidst crises

Megatrends 2023 cover
publications

Megatrends 2023

A hand holding megatrend cards
publications

Megatrend cards 2023

news

Megatrends 2023: these are the trends we cannot ignore

Opinion

A time of surprises calls for more nuanced foresight

articles

Young experts: economic discourse needs more imagination and a diversity of voices

articles

Towards a fair and sustainable economy: comparing different approaches

articles

Is our economic debate future-proof?

Topics

This is what we do.

Text: Megatrends 2023
topics

Megatrends

A man with vr glasses and other weak signals
topics

Weak signals

Many people and colours of rainbow
topics

Power to define futures

topics

Tomorrow’s economy

projects

Futuremaker’s toolbox

Kuvituskuvassa kuumailmapalloja ja patsas
topics

Future makers

Kuvituskuvassa ihmisen kädessä juomatölkki, jossa teksti Sivistys+
topics

Bildung+

projects

Timeout

pages

The Next Era

topics

Knowledge in decision-making

topics

Education for a Changing World

topics

Beyond ageing societies

What is this about?

We are facing significant social changes, but the way our society currently operates does not sufficiently support the building of a fair, sustainable and inspiring future. We are too stuck in old ways of thinking and assumptions about the future, unable to imagine different and inspiring futures. The debate on the future does not take sufficient account of different views and does not sufficiently link reflection on the future to decisions, choices and actions.

Sitra’s mission is to develop a successful Finland of tomorrow. To achieve this, Sitra’s foresight work provides long-term foresight concerning future developments, supporting a transition from merely preparing for changes to transforming society and building better futures. Our goal is to make futures thinking habitual in Finland and to ensure that the power to shape the future is exercised by an increasingly diverse group of people.

What do we do?

In a world full of uncertainties and surprises, the role and importance of foresight are growing, but the issue also needs to be understood more broadly. The basis for Sitra’s foresight work is the production of information about futures: megatrends provide insights into key developments, weak signals supplement this by shifting the focus to more surprising developments and other studies describe different facets of future thinking. We also provide tools and support for interpreting and using foresight information. In this way, we strengthen people’s thinking about the future and their ability to influence future developments.

The aim of foresight work is not to produce accurate predictions of the future, but rather to generate insights into different possible futures over the long term and as part of a broad discourse. We work closely with stakeholders to produce and interpret knowledge about potential futures. We want to open up new opportunities and broaden the numbers of people debating the future.

Through its foresight work, Sitra is actively involved in societal debate, putting particular emphasis on making sure that future developments are taken into account in any given decision.

What have we achieved?

Sitra’s Megatrends review is a key product of our foresight activities. The review is a widely used tool for the strategy work of our stakeholders. We have supplemented the megatrend work with weak signals and different tools which are available for everyone through the Futuremaker’s toolbox. We have also conducted public surveys every few years – the Future Barometer – to gauge people’s ideas about futures and megatrends. Sitra has also created a vision of sustainable well-being.

We also support the national foresight work of the Prime Minister’s Office with the aim of promoting better use of foresight information in decision-making.

Publications

Some heavy reading.

Hand holding Cards of Hope game
publications

Cards of Hope

Megatrends 2023 cover
publications

Megatrends 2023

A hand holding megatrend cards
publications

Megatrend cards 2023

Kuvassa käsi ja julkaisun kansi
publications

Future-oriented thinking as a civic skill

publications

Weak signals 2022

Kuvassa käsi ja Futures frequency käsikirja
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Futures Frequency – Workshop facilitator’s handbook

publications

Megatrends 2020 template

A hand holding megatrend cards
publications

Megatrend cards 2020

Working paper and a hand
publications

The Future of knowledge use in societal decision-making

publications

Gaps in our Bildung

publications

Sustainability, Human Well-being and the Future of Education

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A future the planet can accommodate

publications

The next era of well-being

publications

Impact pathways and shared evaluation as drivers of change

publications

Victim, adapter or solution provider?

publications

Knowledge in decision-making in Finland – Towards greater dialogue

Tools

Yours to use!

In the photo: a hand holding a picture of Futures lens.
Tool

Futures Lens – a tool for democratising futures

A hand holding megatrend cards
publications

Megatrend cards 2023

publications

Digital megatrend cards

Hand holding Cards of Hope game
publications

Cards of Hope

Tool

Getting to grips with a trend

Tool

The insight and foresight Zoo

Tool

The Futures Triangle

Contact

Get in touch.

people
Katri Vataja
people
Mikko Dufva
Senior Lead, Foresight
people
Anna Solovjew-Wartiovaara
Senior Lead, Communications and Public Affairs
people
Sanna Rekola
Specialist, Foresight
people
Jenna Lähdemäki-Pekkinen
Specialist (on extended leave), Foresight
people
Lilli Poussa
Specialist, Foresight
people
Terhi Ylikoski
Specialist, Foresight
people
Eeva Hellström
Senior Lead, Tomorrow’s economy
people
Vesa-Matti Lahti
Senior Lead, Foresight and Strategy
people
Pia Mero
Specialist, Foresight and Strategy
people
Timo Hämäläinen
Senior Lead, Competitiveness through data
people
Jenna Linneo
Project Coordinator (on extended leave), Foresight and Strategy
people
Taru Ryske
Project Coordinator, Societal Foresight and Training
people
Maria Mannonen
Assistant, Foresight and Strategy