Purpose – The paper aims to introduce the first iteration of an international research project into the “state of play” in the futures field (SoPiFF) using methodology developed at the Australian Foresight Institute (AFI). Design/methodology/approach – The paper outlines the overall...

Purpose – An uncertain future means that Dutch government ministries need to think about not only what new policies have to be developed, but also how to organize themselves in the future. This paper aims to present an overview and analysis of various studies of the futures by and about Dutch...

Purpose – There has been no shortage of rosy visions for the future of Africa or its regions. Almost without exception, these visions have been dashed by reality. The question therefore arises: “To what extent or under what conditions is visioning an ideal future a worthy exercise?” or...

Purpose – This essay aims to introduce horizon scanning as an approach fundamental to most foresight studies. Design/methodology/approach – The essay combines a general review of the topic with an overview of a range of horizon‐scanning approaches that are in use in the UK health system....

U.S. Day-Ahead Markets (DAMs) for wholesale electric power managed by Independent System Operators (ISOs) encompass more than 60% of U.S. generating capacity. The current design of these DAMs encourages a focus on decisions that minimize immediate net costs without explicit consideration of...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss and take forward several themes in two earlier papers by Ogilvy and Miller. After summarising their main points it seeks to consider different approaches to “sense making” in the work of future‐relevant theorists and practitioners; then...

Bucket pricing entails a prepaid price and a maximum consumption limit, which requires consumers to make advance purchase decisions before their consumption needs are fully revealed. We propose a dynamic model that involves how consumers form expectations of future consumption needs, learn to...

Purpose – This article aims to consider what libraries might be used for after machines become smarter than humans. Design/methodology/approach – The article considers how Vernor Vinge's novel Across Realtime and his essay “The coming technological singularity” inform possible library...

This article describes the development of scenarios to stimulate public dialog concerning healthcare values. Different values lead to different futures. America’s current healthcare system has serious difficulties and must be transformed, but the underlying problems will not be addressed until...