Scotland’s Futures Forum
Scotland’s Futures Forum is the Scottish Parliament’s futures think-tank. It works on a non-party basis to promote research and to stimulate debate on the long-term challenges and opportunities that Scotland faces. It works to inform MSPs and others and enable them to consider the effects of decisions taken today on Scotland’s long-term future.
Scotland’s Futures Forum is the Scottish Parliament’s futures think-tank. It works on a non-party basis to promote research and to stimulate debate on the long-term challenges and opportunities that Scotland faces. It works to inform MSPs and others and enable them to consider the effects of decisions taken today on Scotland’s long-term future.
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Arts&Culture | Democracy | Education | Looking Beyond | Session 6 | Society | Technology
Trust, suspicion and tech: considerations for knowledge institutions
Opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author, and not of Scotland’s Futures Forum, members of its staff, or the Scottish Parliament. Knowledge institutions – including universities, libraries, museums, scientific offices in governmental and non-governmental settings, and the press – play a central role in creating the conditions for democratic and informed deliberation and decision-making in society. As institutions, they are varied, but they share the purpose of collecting…
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Event Recap: Infrastructures of Wellbeing
On 23 March 2026, Scotland’s Futures Forum partnered with the Scottish Futures Trust, Social Impact Scotland and The Innovation Unit to explore what a prevention first Scotland would look like for the nation’s wellbeing, as well as how it might be achieved. The session, hosted in the Scottish Parliament, brought together stakeholders working across health,…
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How do we counter the influence of the far-right manosphere in Scotland?
Opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author, and not of Scotland’s Futures Forum, members of its staff, or the Scottish Parliament. Last year, my colleague (Dr Callum McGregor) and I conducted a series of focus groups with teachers in three regions of Scotland as part of a research project on political literacy. Because the study involved a self-selecting sample of…
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Event recap: The Future of Food in Scotland
On 8 December 2025, Scotland’s Futures Forum and the Living Good Food Nation Lab brought together a range of stakeholders from across Scotland’s food system to explore the future of food. The event took place against a background of increasing pressures on the food system. Climate disruption, geopolitical shocks and increased calls for fairness and sustainability make it increasingly important to think not only about how…
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What foresight is, and why Parliament should care
At Scotland’s Futures Forum, we help Parliament look past today’s pressures and into the possibilities ahead. If you’ve ever wondered what that means in practice, this short read is a gentle introduction. Public policy is made in the present, but its consequences play out over decades. Decisions taken today shape the lives of future generations…
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20 Years of Scotland’s Futures Forum: A Timeline
In 2025 Scotland’s Futures Forum turned 20. We ended our anniversary year celebrations with a three-day exhibition at the Scottish Parliament, which allowed visitors to find out more about the work we do and to try out some fun, interactive futures thinking tools. The exhibition also included a timeline, which showcases some highlights from the…
