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Scenario Planning and Foresight

Scenario Planning and Foresight 2023

This is a call for the third conference on Scenario Planning and Foresight: Advancing Theory and Improving Practice. The conference is a joint event between the UK Operational Research Society, the British Academy of Management and WBS. Building on the success of the first two conferences on Scenario Planning (2015, 2018), we are extending the scope of the conference to include contributions from the wider field of Foresight.

This will be a two-day event with keynote addresses from distinguished academics and experienced practitioners, and discussions on the latest developments in academic research and practical applications relating to scenario analysis. We have designed the event as be an in-person event rather than a virtual or hybrid one as we believe it important to have opportunities to network with colleagues outside of the formal sessions.

We are inviting academics and practitioners to submit abstracts of up to 500 words (including references).

All submissions will be reviewed to be accepted to the conference.

Academics’ contributions could be both theoretical and empirical from any field of scenario planning or foresight.

The abstracts should indicate:

The research focus; the literature to which they are contributing; a short description of the methodology; and an indication of the research outcomes.

We welcome contributions from doctoral students for whom there will be a limited number of bursaries to cover the registration fee.

Practitioners’ contributions could be both from their own organisation and/or consultancy projects.
Abstracts should indicate the nature of the intervention and an indication on the lessons learned.

Conference fees

Category	Price
Delegate	£170.00 (excl VAT)
Dinner	£45 (excl VAT)

Book now

Discounts are available to PHD students. To apply please contact the organising committee via [email protected]

To submit your abstract for the conference please complete the following form

Submit Abstract

For up to date information on the conference and the programme visit the WBS website:

WBS - Scenario Planning Conference

Plenary Speakers:

Kerstin Cuhls is a scientific project manager at the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI) since 1992. She studied Japanology, Chinese Studies and Economics/Business Administration. She finished her Dr. phil. at the University of Hamburg in Japanology about Technology Foresight in Japan and now combines this knowledge with methods from Futures Research. She is also Professor for Japanology at the University of Heidelberg, Center for East Asian and Transcultural Studies (CATS). She combines East Asian studies with Futures concepts, Futures Research/ Foresight and time research. She started with Delphi surveys in international comparison but broadened the methodological toolbox to scenarios, roadmapping, workshop concepts and Horizon Scanning at Fraunhofer ISI.

Kerstin was member of the European Forum for Forward-Looking Activities (EFFLA) of the European Commission, the High Level Expert Group RISE and the expert group “Strategic Foresight”. She was member of the SCAR Foresight expert group that conducted the 5th SCAR Foresight for the European Commission. Kerstin Cuhls is in the International Editorial and Advisory Boards of different Journals (e.g. Technological Forecasting & Social Change, Journal of European Futures Research, Futures & Foresight Science) and was co-editor of the German Zeitschrift für Zukunftsforschung until 2022.

Alex Jackson is the Senior Political Analyst in the Shell Scenarios team. His work focuses on the intersections between geopolitics, energy, and global security, as well as on scenarios methodology and practice.

Alex previously worked in Shell’s corporate security intelligence team, assessing strategic security trends around the world, and has a background in political risk consultancy. He is based in London.

The conference organisers have secured a special issue of the journal, "Futures & Foresight Science"
for publication of selected conference presentations.

Full versions of papers presented at our conference can be submitted by 1 November 2023 for consideration for
inclusion in this special issue.

More details of this special issue can be found here

Authors of accepted papers are required to register before 15 June 2023
to ensure their paper is scheduled in the programme

Non-author registration will close at 24.00 hrs (GMT) on 30 June 2023

Conference Abstract submission deadline: 30 May 2023

Authors will be notified about acceptance as soon as possible after their submission has been reviewed.
Further details of the conference (schedule, registration, accommodation, travel etc.) will appear and be updated on this conference website over the coming weeks and months.