Impact Trust • Working glossary

Strategic foresight

A structured discipline for systematically exploring, anticipating, and preparing for possible futures – moving beyond forecasting to actively shaping strategy and decisions.

Details

Our Take
Now the dominant umbrella term in policy circles; the EU Commissioner role gives it institutional weight. Not about predicting the future correctly but about expanding the range of futures you are prepared for. The question is whether foresight capacity becomes embedded (infrastructure) or remains episodic (projects).
Examples of Use
OECD, EU, NATO, SOIF, Horizon 2045, governments
Synonyms/Variants
Anticipatory intelligence
Foresight practice
Futures thinking
Typical everyday wording
Using the future professionally - not predicting, but preparing