Applying Foresight

In what types of situations can foresight be helpful to you and how can you involve us?

It’s simple; we assist on demand for all organisational units or policy areas. This means we are driven by your input, questions, and perspectives. Your context is at the centre of our approach. All organisational units, whether large or small, can request our advice.

How do we operate? By using proven foresight tools, such as horizon scanning, scenario development, and policy stress testing. We actively apply relevant academic expertise developed within TU Delft or other organizations. We also develop connections with organisations and sister institutions that deliver compelling results in the field of applying foresight. These are some examples of universities also using foresight.

There are two ways to engage with Foresight. Detailed descriptions are provided below.

Foresight Field Labs

In 2023, the first Foresight Field Labs were initiated. Here, foresight contributes to clarifying specific strategic questions that lie on the critical path for a policy area and/or an organisational unit of TU Delft.

The field labs take place within departments of faculties, at the faculty level, within parts of the professional services, or in the central executive environment of the university.

You can co-design and co-produce a field lab with our SF&I team following a number of defined process steps. Closely aligning foresight needs and supply is central. Circumstances – such as the available time budget – are important conditions for designing a custom field lab.

More information on setting up strategic foresight projects can be found in the frequently asked questions.

TU Delft Futures

TU Delft Futures consolidates several foresight initiatives at the institutional level. These initiatives focus on developing and sharing insights about external developments relevant to the university and exploring new ideas for the future direction of (parts of) TU Delft.

Environmental Analysis

In the context of the field labs, extensive information is collected and analysed about relevant developments in the environment and their potential impact on the future position of (parts of) TU Delft.

TU Delft Futures Seminars

Regularly organised TU Delft Futures seminars focus on actively sharing insights about current and future developments. This often involves highlighting recent reports from external stakeholders of TU Delft. The seminars are intended for colleagues working at the intersections of governance, policy, and science.

Explorative foresight

In 2024, an explorative foresight study on the futures of engineering education at TU Delft in 2050 was initiated. This study aligns with current initiatives at TU Delft aimed at developing a future-proof educational program. The outcomes of this exploration may form the basis for a foresight conference in 2025. In addition, a background analysis on attracting and retaining academic talent has been started; this analysis will serve as reference for the development of a renewed HR-strategy TU Delft.