FUTURES | Sense Making by System Thinking Observatory Research

The FUTURES | Sense Making by System Thinking Observatory has been founded in 2023 with the aim of experimenting and promoting innovative approaches in designing Futures. In highly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous contexts existing in modern society leaders, innovators, and organizations are required to design desirable futures responsibly and proactively, as opposed to adapting and reacting to emerging futures after they have been defined.

FUTURES | Sense Making by System Thinking, Observatory Research

As part of research activities conducted in the course of every annual edition, the FUTURES | Sense Making by System Thinking Observatory aims to:

enhance the skills and organizational abilities of individual leaders and innovators in imagining and developing «distant» futures;
jointly test instruments and methodologies aiming to identify and interpret «weak» signals of potential change;
stimulate a critical and reflective attitude in designing «desirable and meaningful» future scenarios;
enable constant comparison and debate between leaders and innovators operating in different knowledge domains in order to create an innovation culture oriented to people, society, and the planet.

Every edition of the FUTURES | Sense Making by System Thinking Observatory is dedicated to a specific topic on which the futures are designed. This annual edition focuses on «Human Wellbeing in the Era of Intelligent Technologies».

FUTURES | Sense Making by System Thinking Observatory activities

The annual edition of the FUTURES | Sense Making by System Thinking Observatory offers various activities focused on testing cutting-edge approaches and tools to design Futures, in addition to follow ups on specific topics identified in each edition. In particular, two different formats mark Observatory activities:

Future Perspectives (FP) are digital sessions during which participants have the opportunity to talk and compare with leading future thinkers coming from greatly different knowledge domains. The three sessions distributed throughout the year long edition of the Observatory pursue different objectives: enhance imagination (Provoking FP), stimulate a critical attitude (Challenging FP), and support creativity (Inspiring FP);
Future Factories (FF) are in-person workshops in which participants co-design desirable futures by experimenting with cutting-edge approaches and instruments. The three sessions distributed throughout the year long edition of the Observatory pursue different objectives: identify possible future scenarios (Framing FF), design desirable futures (Reframing FF), and define transformation initiatives aimed at achieving desirable futures (Leading FF).

Become a supporter of the FUTURES | Sense Making by System Thinking Observatory

The FUTURES | Sense Making by System Thinking Observatory is supported by several partner and sponsor organizations. Take part in Research conducted by the Observatory, ensure your visibility within our events by networking with companies and qualified professionals, get first access to all the exclusive Observatory data.

For more information please email Claudio Dell’Era at claudio.dellera@polimi.it.

Emilio Bellini

Scientific Officer

Claudio Dell'Era

Design Thinking for Business

Stefano Magistretti

Design thinking for Business

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12 Jul 2024

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IMAGINING DISTANT FUTURES: Human Wellbeing in the Era of Intelligent... IMAGINING DISTANT FUTURES: Human Wellbeing in the Era of Intelligent...

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Over 500 companies each year choose to support research and participate in the activities of the Digital Innovation Observatories, entering into direct contact with the decision makers of the corporate, institutional and academic world. Become our partner!

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In order to have further information on the possibility to collaborate and support the research of the Observatory contact Claudio Dell’Era (claudio.dellera@polimi.it).

FUTURES | Sense Making by System Thinking

Experiment with cutting-edge future scenario design approaches and instruments: devise desirable futures in a collaborative way.