It is essential for everyone to understand what lies ahead, especially during times of crisis like we have experienced recently. This is why, historically, Philips has always had a sincere interest in studying and anticipating what comes next, whether it be in the next quarter or in three decades' time. Perhaps by virtue of the company's specific regional roots and cultural heritage, one of the guiding principles in the approach adopted by Philips' 'explorers of the future' has always been to involve and engage external and independent experts, thinkers and creative leaders in open platforms for dialog and exchange.

" Consider the disruption that technology has already introduced. The big data company BeyondCore can automatically evaluate vast amounts of data, identify statistically relevant insights, and present them through an animated briefing, rendering the junior analyst role obsolete. And the marketing intelligence company Motista employs predictive models and software to deliver insights into customer emotion and motivation at a small fraction of the price of a top consulting firm. These start-ups, though they lack the brand and reputation of the incumbents, are already making inroads with Fortune 500 companies-and as partners to the incumbents. "

SOIF's Vision Policy-makers and business leaders make better decisions when informed by strategic foresight, resulting in greater prosperity, security and well-being. SOIF's Way of Working Build a community and foster links internationally Host conferences, seminars, training events focusing on foresight approaches and tools Convene foresight activities involving multiple partners or countries, support foresight studies and develop foresight capacity

" Ask yourself Is your organisation being digitally disrupted? Does your future strategy lack clarity and buy-in? Is your analogue business model ready for the digital future? Do you currently balance the timeless wisdom of your organisation with timely and future-compatible strategies and action? Are your teams inspired by your brand's 2020 Vision? Do your leaders and staff suffer from change fatigue?"

"We are Academically Qualified Futurists who provide innovative, dynamic leadership and qualified expertise in transformation practice from a futurist perspective. The purpose of our practice is to create powerful, measurable and practical results for individuals and organisations by providing the expertise and proven methodology to guide them to shape their best possible future, the future they aspire to live. We work one on one with individuals from Australia and around the world to assist them to identify, strategically plan and create significant, conscious and purposeful improvement in their life. We work with organisations in Australia to assist leaders in the strategic development and implementation of significant, cultural and business transformation."

"Project Anticipation is the website of the UNESCO Chair in Anticipatory Systems awarded to Roberto Poli, University of Trento. Formally speaking, the chair's activities will begin January 1, 2014. However, since the project is on the many forms of anticipation, and a crucial aspect of anticipation is taking antecedent actions, the project's advance publication shouldn't come as a surprise."

"Welcome to a guide for the strategic manager, who is responsible for innovation."

"On Tuesday 2nd July, we hosted open democracy and legal afficianados David Bovill and Jordan Greenhall, co-founder of DivX Inc. as well as individuals from organisations such as the Quakers, Occupy, People's Assembly and School of Everything, for a discussion focused on Liquid Democracy - a voting process and accompanying software enabling a richer form of dialogue to be embedded in decision-making structures."

"The Human Race to the Future: What Could Happen - and What to Do, by Dr. Daniel Berleant (388 pages), the first book published by the Lifeboat Foundation, is available free (Kindle version) to KurzweilAI readers on July 8 as a one-day promo. A non-fiction book verging on science fiction, its imaginative future scenarios include colonizing the planet Mercury (it has water at the poles), GPS-enabled clocks replace daylight savings time, mind-reading replaces keyboards, cheap genomes, smart pills, the Asteroid Apocalypse, global warming vs. Big Ice, and live anywhere, work anywhere - an hour's work yields a week's (radically genetically engineered) food. "Mandatory reading for anyone trying to grasp where civilization is heading" - Zoltan Istvan, author, The Transhumanist Wager."

"Watch an exclusive interview with Rafael Ramirez, Director of the Oxford Scenarios Programme and Fellow in Strategy at the Saїd Business School and Green Templeton College, Oxford University. A world expert on scenario planning and a founder of theories on the aesthetics of business, work and organisation, Rafael Ramirez has worked in over 25 countries, spanning many corporations, governmental and inter-governmental organisations, trade union federations, NGO's and professional associations. As Director of the Oxford Scenarios Programme he leads one of the most highly respected programmes on the subject in the world."

"Bertolt Meyer is used to being viewed as not fully human. Born with a stump where his left hand should have been, he spent his childhood wearing a hook connected to an elaborate pulley and harness. "To open the hook and grasp things I had to flex my shoulders like this," he says, striking a he-man pose. "The harness was very uncomfortable. To stop it chafing my skin, I had to wear a shirt underneath it at all times. I was always sweating.""

"The last year I presented TEFMIBO in Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology - PICMET 2012. This research shows a methodology for technology foresight in order to achieve better implementation and to overcome its problems. With Technological Foresight Model for the Identification of Business Opportunities, I intend to provide a tool to support managers and entrepreneurs to improve the decision making process that address the future of their business."