European Foresight Platform

OECD Blue Sky 2016
2016-09-19 - 2016-09-21 | Het Pand, Onderbergen 1, Gent, 9000, Belgium
The OECD Blue Sky Forum 2016 will be held in Ghent, Belgium on 19-21 September 2016. This major OECD event, which takes place every ten years, will gather science, technology and innovation practitioners around a discussion on evidence gaps and data needs. Examples of data and indicator development with the potential for international adoption will be showcased, as well as examples of ground-breaking application of existing or new sources addressing questions and providing evidence on the state of science and innovation systems and the role of STI policies worldwide.
The European Commission has established through DG Research & Innovation intense cooperation with the OECD’s Science, Technology and Innovation Directorate. This cooperation has resulted in the launch of the STI Policy Survey 2016, which this year and for the first time is a joint product by both institutions. In addition, comprehensive work on the incidence and impact of R&D tax incentives has been launched and an observatory for public sector innovation is being set up.
In this context, the upcoming OECD Blue Sky Forum shall take the form of an unconstrained discussion on evidence gaps in science and innovation and on initiatives the international community can take to address data needs in this area. It will engage the policy community, data users and providers into an open dialogue to review and develop a long-term agenda on science, technology and innovation data and indicators.
Follow this link to find all background information: http://www.oecd.org/science/blue-sky.htm.

EcoSummit 2016 – Ecological Sustainability: Engineering Change
2016-08-29 - 2016-09-01 | The Corum Convention Centre, Boulevard Charles Warnery, Montpellier, 34000, France
The 5th International EcoSummit Congress, EcoSummit 2016 – Ecological Sustainability: Engineering Change, will take place at The Corum Convention Centre, Montpellier from August 29th to September 1st 2016. It will focus on the ecology of terrestrial ecosystems and all habitats that are integrated within those ecosystems, including river networks, wetlands and coastlines. Special attention will be given to fragile ecosystems that are more likely to suffer the consequences of climate change and anthropogenic pressure.
In the current context of an increasing world population, changes in social habit (increasing world consumerism) and climate change, it is evident that agriculture is being intensified but with a growing awareness of the need to preserve and use sustainably world resources. Therefore, the Summit will also address how terrestrial restoration can be carried out when the massive demand for food results in fragile ecosystems, forests and marginal lands being turned over to agriculture. Some of the central and fundamental topics of EcoSummit 2016 are for example biodiversity and biological conservation, ecosystem creation and restoration, and integrating socio-economics and ecology.
The EcoSummit conference series was founded in 1996 in Copenhagen, as a forum to meet the demands of scientists working in several new ecological disciplines, and who required a better understanding of the concepts and methods for a holistic use of ecology in environmental management. Since 1996, EcoSummit has been taken around the world (Canada and China), with EcoSummit 2012 hosting 1600 participants from 75 countries in Columbus, Ohio, USA.
For more information on EcoSummit 2016 follow this link: http://www.ecosummit2016.org/

World Future 2016
2016-07-22 - 2016-07-24 | Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington DC, United States
The next World Future Summit will be held on July 22 to 24, 2016 in Washington DC under the theme „Frameworks: Fit the world to your vision“. According to the organizers the event is all about building new frameworks for a future of new opportunities and big challenges. The summit should offer an immersive experience where speakers, panelists, and participants alike challenge the parameters that restrict decision-making.
World Future is the annual conference of the World Future Society (WFS) bringing together futurists, leaders, and creators in the world to explore the impact of current and future trends in society, business, government and technology. Also, the World Future Society turns fifty years old in 2016, so it is time to celebrate at World Future 2016.
More information on speakers, panels, master classes and other activities coming soon on this website: http://www.worldfuture2016.org/

World Future 2016
Washington Hilton
1919 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington DC

Foresight Filmfestival: Science Meets Vision
2016-06-30 | Universität Halle, Halle an der Saale, Germany
On June 30, 2016, the Foresight Filmfestival will take place in Halle, Germany. Researchers, scientists, makers and project developers are welcome to advertise for what they are working on and what excites them. Film and media professionals expand their ideas from their perspective. In four minute long short films creatives will present their vision of how technological development can influence our lives in ten to twenty years – all of this based on scientific foundation.
The Foresight Film Festival takes selected topics of the BMBF-Foresight process (Federal Ministry of Education and Research in Germany) and is the first Science-Vision Festival, which invites visionaries from research, film, media, society, to come together during this week, to take the look into the future both from a technological and social point of view, and to manifest visions in words and moving images for a common future. The focus is always on one question: How do we want, how will we live?
Visionaries from all disciplines – research, media, film, culture – who would like to get in a dialogue with each other or with society, can take part and submit their visions of the future in short films for the festival. The deadline for submission is May 15, 2016.
Follow this link for more information (in German): http://foresight-filmfestival.de/

Adaption Futures 2016
2016-05-10 09:00 - 2016-05-13 18:00 UTC | Postillion Convention Centre WTC Rotterdam, Beursplein 37, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Adaptation Futures, the biennial conference of the Global Programme of Research on Climate Change Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation (PROVIA), will be held in Rotterdam from 10 to 13 May 2016. The fourth PROVIA worldwide adaptation conference highlights adaptation practices and solutions for people, governments and businesses, and aims to move climate change adaptation forward by promoting solutions across sectors, borders and communities. Scholars, practitioners, policymakers and business people from all around the world will meet and get the chance to exchange new and practical ideas, experiences and insights for climate change adaptation. Participants are invited to share their research findings, public and commercial solutions, and policy issues. They are asked to demonstrate how their findings might be applicable to other communities, countries or sectors.
Three types of sessions are offered: science sessions, practice sessions (including policy practice) and combined science-practice sessions. Proposals are invited for full sessions that fit one of the three categories, as well as abstracts for individual presentations in the science sessions. The organizers are particularly interested in combined science-practice sessions. Many companies and public authorities contribute to scientific research, or conduct research themselves. Science sessions are therefore open to those wishing to present scientific findings and solutions relevant to climate change adaptation. Businesses, practitioners, policymakers, designers, investors and decision makers can also interact with scientists to explore and discuss solutions to the adaptation challenge in practice sessions, or propose solution-oriented science-practice sessions.
Follow this link for more information on the session and submission guidelines!

Adaption Futures 2016
May 10 – 13, 2016
Postillion Convention Centre WTC Rotterdam
Beursplein 37
Rotterdam, Netherlands

URBAN FUTURE Global Conference 2016
2016-03-02 09:00 - 2016-03-03 18:00
On March 2 and 3, 2016 the URBAN FUTURE Global Conference, one of the world’s largest events for sustainable city development, will happen in Graz. Austrian’s second biggest city will become an international hot spot for concepts about cities of the future. Around 1,500 participants will be able to hear about the newest developments in urban mobility, climate protection, resource preservation and communication in large cities. City changers from four continents like for example former Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit, Israeli city development expert Hila Oren and Danish-Canadian mobility expert Mikael Colville-Andersen will be present their ideas and engagement at the conference.
At the centre of the conference will be an open, critical exchange of experiences and learning in the area of sustainable city development. In 40 sessions about the four core themes mobility, city planning, communication and resource preservation, the participants get the chance to exchange their thoughts on such varied subjects as bicycle friendliness, regulations for sustainable buildings and digitalisation in cities. Furthermore The this years “Smart Cities Days”, the most important Austrian event of its kind, will take place within URBAN FUTURE for the first time. Key partners of the URBAN FUTURE Global Conference 2016 include the World Bank Group, the European Commission, the Committee of Regions and the city of Graz. In addition, the conference enjoys the support of around 75 global organisations and companies.

Have a look into the program here: http://www.urbanfuture.at/en/program/
Registrations can be made via this link: http://www.urbanfuture.at/en/register/

URBAN FUTURE Global Conference
Date: 2 – 3 March 2016
Venue: Messecongress Graz, Austria

Go4 Joint Final Conference
2016-01-14 09:00 - 2016-01-15 17:00 | EESC Brussels, Belliardstraat 99, Etterbeek, 1040, Belgium
If you would like to start the year with new insights in Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) you should not miss this event: The Go4 Joint Final Conference on RRI hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on January 14 and 15, 2016 in Brussels. The conference with the leading theme “Responsible Research and Innovation in Europe and across the World: Shaping new Horizons” is a collaboration between Res-AGorA (www.res-agora.eu) and three other EU funded RRI projects: GREAT, Responsibility and ProGReSS (Go4).

The EU seeks to become a genuine Innovation Union by 2020, striving for excellent science, competitive industry, and a better society without compromising on sustainability, ethical acceptability or societal desirability. Responsible Research and Innovation, RRI, is a governance approach that supports the Innovation Union. There is an active debate on how best to translate the broad aims of the Innovation Union into principles and concrete actions for RRI. While the discourse on RRI
is far from being settled, an impressive number of RRI activities have unfolded over the past few years. The European Union’s funding of dedicated RRI research projects and coordination activities has significantly contributed to this development.
The first wave of these projects, the Go4, will be ready to present their findings, conceptual developments, concrete messages and policy recommendations on 14-15 January 2016.

Have a look into the programme here: http://res-agora.eu/assets/RRI-Programme-V-12.pdf
Registrations for this event should be done until December 31 2015 via this link: http://res-agora.eu/news/go4-joint-final-conference/

2nd Worldwide Meeting of Young Academies 2015
2015-11-16 09:00 - 2015-11-17 19:00
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is the European Commission’s in-house science service which employs scientists to carry out research in order to provide independent scientific advice and support to EU policy. Shortly after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and just ahead of the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Paris (COP21), the JRC organises a joint conference together with the Global Young Academy (GYA) and the Young Academy of Sweden (YAS) to discuss the role of science and scientific evidence in sustainable development.
On 16 November there will be a lecture by Hans Rosling, professor of International Health at the Karolinska Institutet on global trends in health and economics. On 17 November representatives from the JRC, research institutions, young academies, international institutions and Swedish government representatives will discuss the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and more particularly how science can support policy making in sustainable development.
The aim of the conference is to find best practices at international level in channelling scientific evidence in support to the implementation, evaluation and monitoring of policies and actions towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Young academics will be asked to support the work after the UN Summit of September 2015 and the COP21 in December into their future role as scientists. In order to share experiences and expectations from the work ahead young academics are very welcome to engage in this debate.
