Interregional Exchange Meeting on Strategic Foresight was Held in Helsinki-Uusimaa
Partners of the Strategic Foresight Partnership (SFP) project gathered in Helsinki on 4–5 March 2026 for an interregional seminar dedicated to foresight practices. The seminar aimed to showcase the diversity of foresight approaches across the Helsinki region and to facilitate exchanges between practitioners.
Over the two days, participants attended 12 high-quality presentations covering a wide range of sectors, including education, urban development, and regional strategy. While the primary focus was on regional foresight, national-level perspectives were also introduced, notably by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Sitra Found. In total, 20 participants from six European regions took part in the visit.
A leading region in foresight practice
Within the SFP network, the Helsinki region stands out as a frontrunner in integrating foresight into public action. This reputation generated strong interest among participants, who were particularly keen to understand how foresight is structured, operationalised, and embedded into decision-making processes. A key point of attention was the diversity of methods used and how they are adapted to specific institutional and territorial contexts.
Several cross-cutting lessons emerged from the exchanges:
- The Technical Research Centre of Finland highlighted that technological foresight cannot be dissociated from social dynamics and public acceptance. Technological breakthroughs are the result of cumulative innovations and convergences, rather than isolated developments.
- The City of Vantaa emphasised the importance of a fine-grained understanding of the local context. Its demographic structure and dynamics differ significantly from the rest of Finland, leading to tailored, place-based future solutions.
- The Helsinki vocational college Stadin AO demonstrated that developing students’ futures literacy requires a personalised approach. Rather than offering predefined pathways, the focus is on building individual capacities to engage with the future in relation to one’s own life.
- The Sitra Found’s work on megatrends provides a shared national framework for foresight. However, its relevance depends on the ability to interpret these global dynamics through local lenses. This highlights the critical interplay between national and regional levels.
For more information, please contact:
Juuso Vähä-Piikkiö
Project Manager
juuso.vaha-piikkio@uudenmaanliitto.fi
Regional and international foresight cooperation, project Strategic Foresight Partnership
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