Scotland 2030 Programme
The Scotland 2030 Programme has been an investigation into the kind of country we want Scotland to be in 2030 and beyond. Through it, Scotland’s Futures Forum has explored how Scottish culture and society is…
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Scotland 2030: 10 for 2030
Throughout the Scotland 2030 Programme, our event participants shared their thoughts and ideas on how to approach the future. These are 10 ideas for the Scottish Parliament to consider – with some background information to…
Scotland 2030: Creative Reflections
Stories, artwork and other creative reflections on Scotland’s future produced during the Futures Forum’s Scotland 2030 Programme
‘Positive view’ needed to tackle Scotland’s challenges of the next decade
Scotland’s Futures Forum, the Scottish Parliament’s think-tank, is today publishing the findings of its Scotland 2030 Programme, looking at what sort of country we might become, and what our response might be to the great…
Alba 2030 Sealladh Brosnachail air an Àm ri Thighinn
Tha Prògram Alba 2030 air a bhith na rannsachadh air an t-seòrsa dùthaich a tha sinn a’ miannachadh a bhios ann an Alba ann an 2030 agus nas fhaide air adhart. Troimhe, tha Fòram Alba…
Scotland 2030: What do we want, and how can we get there?
Thursday 19 November 2020, 7pm to 8.30pm, online and free As Scotland’s Futures Forum publishes its report into Scotland in 2030 and beyond, join an expert panel at the Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics to…
Scotland 2030: Empathetic, Equitable and Joyful
After her participation in a 2020 Festival of Politics event on Scotland in 2030, chaired by Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh MSP, writer and presenter Tomiwa Folorunso shares her reflections on the next 10 years. Open the…
Scotland 2030: Children’s rights must be at the heart of all that we do
Ahead of his participation in a Festival of Politics panel discussion on Scotland in 2030, the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland Bruce Adamson shares his reflections on the next 10 years. Planning ahead would…
Stealing our cities: land-use analysis
Land-use analysis of three sites in two Scottish cities shows that private cars are taking more than their fair share of the available space. The research was conducted by Marli de Jongh, a PhD student…
Chrysalis by Laura Scotland
A story by Laura Scotland about Scotland in 2030. Written in 2020, “Chrysalis” explores the experience of a new parent in a world laden with technology.
Saplings by Sophie Charlotte Baumert
A story by Sophie Charlotte Baumert about Scotland in 2030. Written in 2020, “Saplings” follows a school trip into the countryside.
The Thief and the Watchdog by Katya Bacica
A story by Katya Bacica about Scotland in 2030. Written in 2020, “The Thief and the Watchdog” follows a journey in a very different Edinburgh.
Scotland 2030 Programme: Short Story Competition
As part of the Futures Forum’s Scotland 2030 Programme – our aspirational exploration of Scotland’s culture and society in 2030 and beyond – we were delighted to support a short story competition to help us…
Scotland 2030: Future Schooling, Education and Learning
What could schooling, education and learning look like in 2030 and beyond? Starting with this question, the Goodison Group in Scotland and Scotland’s Futures Forum have been exploring education, schooling and learning in 2030 and…
Scotland 2030: Future Schooling, Education & Learning – Report & Film
Tuesday 10 March 2020, at the Scottish Parliament To mark the publication of the Futures Forum and Goodison Group in Scotland report exploring the future of education in Scotland, leading figures from Scottish education joined…
Scotland 2030: Carbon Positive Jobs
Wednesday 5 February 2020, at the Scottish Parliament What jobs will there be in a net zero Scotland? With a climate emergency to respond to while new technology pushes at boundaries and disrupts our lives,…
Scotland 2030: Leadership in Education
Tuesday 10 September and Thursday 30 January 2020, at the Scottish Parliament Open the Scotland 2030 Leadership in Education report Scotland’s Futures Forum and the Goodison Group in Scotland continued their exploration of education in…
Scotland 2030: Future Education Scenario
With the Goodison Group in Scotland, the Futures Forum has been investigating the future for schooling, education and learning in Scotland, looking to 2030 and beyond. In a series of interactive seminars, participants from a…
Scotland 2030: Gaelic – what would success look like?
What would success look like in for Gaelic in Scotland by 2030? This half-day conference in December 2019 explored the future for one of Scotland’s official languages. Features videos and event report
Alba 2030: A’ Ghàidhlig – Buaidh is Piseach
A’ Ghàidhlig – cò ris a bhiodh soirbheachadh coltach? Dè a bu chòir a bhith an dàn don Ghàidhlig ann an Alba? Cò ris a bhiodh soirbheachadh coltach ann an 2030? Aithisg na co-labhairt Leugh…
Artificial Intelligence: A Misunderstood Revolution
This seminar in 2019 with writer Tom Chivers explored how artificial intelligence [AI] is developing and changing our lives. Includes report and podcast.
Our Future Scotland
#OurFutureScotland challenges everyone – from the First Minister and other party leaders, to leading business and technology figures, and award-winning authors and artists – to share their aspirations for the kind of country they want…
Our Future Scotland @ the Scottish Parliament’s 20th Birthday Party
Saturday 29 June 2019, at the Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament opened its doors to the people of Scotland for an afternoon of celebration to mark its 20th birthday. As part of the celebrations the…
Scotland 2030: A Sustainable Future for Urban Scotland
Wednesday 26 June 2019, at the Scottish Parliament Life in Scotland’s towns and cities is forecast to change significantly in the coming decades. Cities are set to continue to grow, facing the challenge of providing…
Scotland’s cities: retrofitting or new urban developments?
A blog by Felix Esche, a work experience student in June 2019, on the future of our cities.
Scotland 2030: Leadership in Education
Tuesday 11 June 2019, at the Scottish Parliament This seminar, chaired by Sir Andrew Cubie, was the second in a series of debates focusing on leadership in education, particularly leadership of change. It featured a…
Leaders in Sport & Physical Activity: Judy Murray
On Wednesday 5 June 2019, former Fed Cup Captain Judy Murray spoke at the Scottish Parliament as part of the seminar series with Leaders in Sport and Physical Activity hosted by the Futures Forum and…
Leaders in Sport & Physical Activity: David Duke
On Wednesday 29 May 2019, the founder and chief executive of Street Soccer, David Duke, spoke at the Scottish Parliament about his journey through sport and the lessons he has learned along the way. Organised…
In An Enlightened Future by Susie Maguire
A reflection by Susie Maguire on the potential effect of a citizen’s income. Written in 2019, “In An Enlightened Future” charts the dream of someone living in a world with a citizen’s income.
Scotland 2030: A Sustainable Future for Rural Scotland
Scotland’s sparsely-populated areas are predicted to lose a quarter of their population by 2046, with the working age population likely to shrink by 33%. At the same time, the challenge of enabling the development that…
Leaders in Sport & Physical Activity: Shelley Kerr
On Wednesday 8 May 2019, the Head Coach of the Scotland Women’s National Team, Shelley Kerr, spoke at the Parliament in a seminar chaired by the Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh MSP. Podcast Listen to a…
Scotland 2030: A Citizen’s Income?
Panel discussion at the Scottish Parliament in 2019 on a citizen’s income or universal basic income. How attractive – and affordable – is it as a policy?
Scotland 2030: Leadership in Education
View the Leadership in Education report On Tuesday 12 March 2019, the Futures Forum and the Goodison Group in Scotland continued their exploration of schooling and learning in the future. Bringing together representatives from business,…
Can Scotland be a world leader in wellbeing?
Jennifer Wallace, Carnegie UK Trust, @Jen_CarnegieUK Earlier this month I attended a Scotland’s Futures Forum seminar on a wellbeing economy at the Scottish Parliament. The event, a collaboration between the Futures Forum, the Economy, Jobs…
Scotland 2030: A Wellbeing Economy?
Report of a seminar in February 2019 with the Wellbeing Economy Alliance on Scotland as a wellbeing economy.
Scotland 2030: Housing and Ageing
How can housing meet the needs of older people in the future? This seminar in January 2019 explored the future for housing with an ageing population. Features podcast of presentation.
Leaders in Sport & Physical Activity: Seminar Series
In 2019, the Futures Forum and the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) hosted a series of seminars hearing from leaders in sport and physical activity. Each was asked to share the lessons they’ve learned in…
Scotland 2030: A Sustainable Future for Social Care for Older People
16 November 2018, at the Scottish Parliament In conjunction with the Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee, the Futures Forum brought together a diverse range of people to consider the future for social care for…
Scotland 2030: Secondary Education
Future Schooling, Education and Learning: Goodison Group in Scotland Forum Debate Tuesday 13 November 2018, at the Scottish Parliament The Goodison Group in Scotland and the Futures Forum continued their exploration of schooling and learning…
Scotland 2030: Death and Dying
Tuesday 6 November 2018, at the Scottish Parliament The Futures Forum concluded its investigation into life in the future with a discussion on death and dying in 2030 and beyond. Chaired by the Parliament’s Presiding Officer,…
Scotland 2030: Growing Older in Future Scotland
Wednesday 3 October 2018, at the Scottish Parliament The Futures Forum continued its investigation into life in the future with a discussion on growing older in 2030 and beyond. Chaired by Ross Greer MSP, this…
Our Future Scotland: Artwork
Artworks commissioned in 2018 by the Futures Forum from Fiona J MacLellan as part of a paid internship. The pieces represented the growing body of work in our Scotland 2030 Programme.
Scotland 2030: Our Food Future
This seminar in September 2018 used Nourish Scotland’s vision of a sustainable food system in 2030 to prompt a discussion on food in Scotland. Features video of presentations and report.
Scotland 2030: Autonomous Vehicles
Are autonomous vehicles the future? How well developed are they already, what is likely to happen next, and how can Scotland exploit the opportunities they present? Scotland’s Futures Forum was delighted to work with Ivan…
Autonomous Vehicles: Opportunities for Glasgow
On 4 July 2018, the Futures Forum held a seminar on the opportunities for Glasgow from the development of autonomous vehicles. Hosted by Glasgow City Council and produced in conjunction with Jacobs and Glasgow Chambers…
Autonomous Vehicles: Challenges and Opportunities for the Future
On 21 June 2018, Scotland’s Futures Forum hosted a seminar on the opportunities and challenges presented by the development of autonomous vehicles. A panel discussion chaired by Gail Ross MSP, Deputy Convener of the Rural…
Scotland 2030: Primary School
Future Schooling, Education and Learning: Goodison Group in Scotland Forum Debate On Tuesday 19 June 2018, the Goodison Group in Scotland and the Futures Forum continued their exploration of schooling and learning in the future,…
Scotland 2030: Work in a Gender Equal Country
Tuesday 5 June 2018 at the Scottish Parliament The Futures Forum’s investigation into Scotland’s culture and society in the future continued with a discussion of our working lives in 2030. Read Scotland 2030 – Work…
Our Future Scotland: Aberdeen and the North East
In partnership with the University of Aberdeen, on 25 May 2018, the Futures Forum held an event on the aspirations for our future in Aberdeen and the North East. Using the Our Future Scotland video…
Our Future Scotland: Film Premiere
“Our Future Scotland” challenges everyone – from the First Minister and other party leaders, to leading business and technology figures, and award-winning authors and artists – to share their aspirations for the kind of country…
Scotland 2030: the Early Years
Future Schooling, Education and Learning: Goodison Group in Scotland Forum Debate On 14 March 2018, the Goodison Group in association with Scotland’s Futures Form held the first debate of the year as part of its…
Scotland 2030: Growing Up In Future Scotland
In 2018, Scotland’s Futures Forum’s Scotland 2030 Programme is looking at different stages of life in future Scotland. The first event in the series considered what growing up in Scotland in 2030 could and should…
Future Schooling, Learning and Education: Future Skills and Qualifications
Scotland 2030: Goodison Group in Scotland Forum Debate The Goodison Group in Scotland continued its on-going investigation into education and learning in the future with a debate in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday 14 November…
Scotland 2030: Technology and Society
On Friday 10 November, in conjunction with the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Futures Forum held a Scotland 2030 Programme discussion on technology and society in Inverness. Chaired by the Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh MSP,…
Scotland 2030: Fitter or Fatter?
Seminar in October 2017 exploring policy responses to obesity and their potential effect on people’s health and lives.
Scotland 2030: Young People and Technology
On 27 October 2017, the Futures Forum held a joint consultation event with the Scottish Youth Parliament on the question of technology. Chaired by Maree Todd MSP as a Futures Forum director, the debate covered…
Scotland 2030: Our Economy
Having explored the challenges provided by the technological revolution and climate change in its first two events in 2017, the Futures Forum heard from Dr Jamie Coleman, chair and co-founder of Codebase, and Dr Katherine…
A Civilised Nation? Project Overview
The French philosopher Voltaire is quoted as saying in the 1760s that “We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation”. What did that mean then, and what might it mean today and in the…
The Future and Me: Living in Tomorrow’s World
What does the future hold for young people? What do they think will happen? This video from 2017 explores what inventions we might see by 2030.
Future Schooling, Education and Learning: The Economic Context
Scotland 2030: Goodison Group in Scotland Forum Debate On 5 September 2017, the Goodison Group in Scotland and the Futures Forum continued their on-going investigation into education and learning in the future with a debate…
Bananas, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Scotland’s Environment
By Dr Steph Smith, Scotland’s Rural College and @ScienceSeaweed Humans are curious creatures. Not in the sense that we are random assemblages of cells which share about 50% of our DNA with a banana; but curious…
Our Environment in 2030
A healthy society and culture depends on a healthy environment. This project explores how Scotland’s environment might change over the coming years and how our relationship with it will and should change at the same…
Future Schooling, Education and Learning: Our Aspirations [2]
Scotland 2030: Goodison Group in Scotland Forum Debate Read the Education in 2030 – Our Aspirations Event Report The Goodison Group in Scotland continued its on-going investigation into education and learning in the future with…
Economy, ecology, aesthetics: competing interests in the land
By Eleanore Widger, University of Dundee and @Nell Widger Earlier this year the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) and Mountaineering Scotland made an unlikely alliance in opposition to government plans to plant thousands of new trees. According to the…
How resilient and well-functioning will Scotland’s environment be?
As part of the Scotland 2030 Programme, and on the basis that a strong society and economy can exist in the long term only if the environment – land, air and water – are functioning…
Enlightenment Scotland: a “civilised nation”?
By Nicola Martin, University of Stirling and @NicolaMartin14 “We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation.” This summary of a quotation from French Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire is commonly used by commentators who wish…
Rugged, remote, rocky: Scotland and the Romantic imagination
By Eleanore Widger, University of Dundee and @NellWidger A curious thing happened in Scotland during the Romantic period: vast numbers of tourists from Britain, Europe and elsewhere used new road networks and steam packet routes to access the…
Technology: the driving force of human civilisation?
The first line of an article I read this morning proclaimed that: “Technology has driven human civilisation for thousands of years.” [1] Businessman Mukesh Ambani was discussing the opportunities for India to become a world…
Civilisation: a question of terminology
By Nicola Martin, University of Stirling and @NicolaMartin14 5 April 2017 Before we consider what various stakeholders understand by the notion of a civilised nation or civilisation in the present, and even before we consider…
Scotland’s landscapes: natural or naturalised
By Eleanore Widger, University of Dundee and @NellWidger 13 April 2017 Something has troubled me as I’ve progressed through my internship thinking about Scotland’s relationship to landscape. My research background in the Environmental Humanities has taught me to be…
Scotland 2030 Programme: Launch
Scotland’s Futures Forum – the Scottish Parliament’s in-house think tank – launched its Scotland 2030 programme on Wednesday 29 March 2017. Billed as an exploration of Scotland’s culture and society, the programme will ask what…
News from 2030 by Karine Polwart
As part of the launch of our Scotland 2030 Programme in March 2017, we asked award-winning folk singer, songwriter and essayist Karine Polwart (@IAMKP) to reflect on the cultural implications for our society from technological change. In…
Scotland 2030: The Technological Context
This debate with Karine Polwart and Chris van der Kuyl in March 2017 explored the effect technological innovation would have on life in Scotland.
Betty Bags a Booker by Karine Polwart
An imagined news story from 2030 by Karine Polwart. Written in 2017, “Betty Bags a Booker” reflects on the effect of automation on our society and culture.
A Digital Haven by Karine Polwart
An imagined news story from 2030 by Karine Polwart. Written in 2017, “A Digital Haven” reflects on the mixed effect of technology on Scotland’s rural areas.
Karmic Payback by Karine Polwart
An imagined news story from 2030 by Karine Polwart. Written in 2017, “Karmic Payback” reflects on the role of apps and personal data in our health and wellbeing.
Future Schooling, Education and Learning: Our Aspirations [1]
Scotland 2030: Goodison Group in Scotland Forum Debate Read the Education in 2030: Our Aspirations – Event Report To kick off its investigation into education and learning in the future, the Goodison Group in Scotland…
Glaciation and imagination
By Eleanore Widger, University of Dundee and @NellWidger I began my last post by describing the view from my Futures Forum desk. Looking past my computer towards Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags, I received what Neal Ascherson describes…
Scotland 2030: Greetings from another Futures Fellow
By Nicola Martin, University of Stirling and @NicolaMartin14 Whilst the current view from my window is not as symbolic as Eleanore’s (I’m currently working from home rather than the Parliament), I too found my thinking for…
Scotland 2030: Greetings from a Futures Fellow
By Eleanore Widger, University of Dundee and @NellWidger As I write this I can see, to the right of my computer screen, the gorse-covered north-west side of an extinct volcano, a huge slab of rock…
By 2025, Scotland will be regarded as a world-leading learning nation
As part of Scotland’s Futures Forum strategic link with the Goodison Group in Scotland in the area of learning and skills, our organisations undertook a project on Scotland as a world-leading learning nation. This ambitious…
Scotland: Sustainable Communities in 2030
A scenario project from 2010 examining what sustainable communities might look like in Scotland in 2030. Features report and scenarios video.