Use of strategic foresight in market decisions

As part of this project with the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM), Jan Oliver Schwarz (Bavarian Foresight Institute) analysed how leading companies use strategic foresight to prepare for future challenges. 

The results show: Over 90% of large companies already use strategic foresight methods to recognise developments at an early stage and make informed decisions. In an increasingly complex and uncertain world, strategic foresight plays a key role in making organisations more resilient and future-proof.Research also shows that strategic foresight is much more than recognising trends. It enables organisations to develop alternative future scenarios and not only react to change, but actively shape strategies that prepare them for future challenges. 

The project also sheds light on how strategic foresight can be better integrated into decision-making processes. Although many companies already use foresight methods, there is often room for improvement in terms of actually integrating them into decision-making processes. This raises questions such as whether managers are sufficiently trained to use trend analyses and foresight workshops effectively as a decision-making aid.