We are deeply saddened by the passing of Sir George Reid, a visionary leader, and the driving force behind the creation of Scotland’s Futures Forum 20 years ago. This month, as we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we are proud to be part of George Reid’s legacy and it is with great sadness that we stop…
An update from the Scottish Parliament’s think-tank on its work in autumn 2023. This includes information about a public debate in October.
An update from the Scottish Parliament’s think-tank on its work in summer 2023. This includes information on the Festival of Politics in August.
A review of Scotland’s Futures Forum’s work over 2022, bringing people together with the Scottish Parliament to explore democracy, education and tax.
An update from the Scottish Parliament’s think-tank on its work in summer 2022. This includes information on the Festival of Politics in August.
An update from the Scottish Parliament’s think-tank on its work in spring 2022. This includes a chance to share your views on what we should be doing.
An update from the Scottish Parliament’s think-tank from autumn 2021. It includes information on the Festival of Politics and new directors.
Update on board changes and plans from Scotland’s Futures Forum from summer 2021.
Scotland’s Futures Forum is the Scottish Parliament’s futures think-tank. Our work is designed to inform MSPs and enable them to consider the effects of decisions taken today on Scotland’s long-term future. In the fifth session of the Scottish Parliament, from May 2016 to March 2021, we fulfilled our remit to promote research and to stimulate…
2020 has been a year like no other. Often, it has been hard for many of us to look beyond the end of the week, let alone into the long-term future. At Scotland’s Futures Forum, like many other places, our work has been curtailed in 2020 as we’ve adapted to changing circumstances. But before the…
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 changes of the next decade and beyond. Open our report: Scotland 2030: A Positive View of Our Future The work,…
Scotland’s Futures Forum is delighted to partner with the Scottish Parliament on its first virtual Festival of Politics, which takes place from Thursday 19 November to Saturday 21 November 2020. With events moving online as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire Festival is free to attend. As the Futures Forum brings to a…
The Scottish Parliament’s think tank, Scotland’s Futures Forum, has today published analysis which shows the large amount of space private cars take up in Scotland’s cities. The aim of the project was to look creatively at the role of transport in climate change by assessing how much space is dedicated to private vehicles in comparison…
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 imagine the future. We teamed up with Cymera, Scotland’s Festival of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Writing, and Shoreline of…
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 pupils from Glasgow for an event on 10 March 2020 to discuss how schooling might change by 2030. The Schooling,…
Scotland’s Futures Forum continues its exploration of our future with a series of events in spring 2020. Covering the future of education, the impact of innovation and sustainability on the jobs we do, and the shared ethics and values that will shape our political decision making, these events all take a long-term perspective on current…
2019 has been a busy year for Scotland’s Futures Forum. We’ve explored our shared future in urban and rural communities, hosted discussions on transformative ideas like a citizen’s income and a wellbeing economy, and welcomed the best of Scotland’s sporting leadership into Parliament to talk about their journey. Read our review of 2019
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 their journey through sport, along with their thoughts about the future. The seminars were for MSPs, MSP staff and Parliament…
Scotland’s Futures Forum is delighted to announce our Spring 2019 Programme of Events. As part of our Scotland 2030 Programme, we’ll be hosting discussions looking at the future for housing with an ageing population, and the future for further and higher education in 2030 and beyond. We’ll also consider the question of whether a citizen’s…
Hello and welcome to the Futures Forum’s bulletin for autumn 2018! With the Scottish Parliament having returned from the summer recess, we look back on a busy summer for us and forward to an exciting autumn of events in our Scotland 2030 Programme. Autumn Programme of Events Read more about Scotland 2030: Growing Older, Wednesday 3…
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 McKee MSP and various partners including Jacobs to explore the potential presented by the development of autonomous vehicles and the…
Find out what we’ve been up to – and what’s coming next!
Scotland’s Futures Forum is delighted to announce our Summer Programme of Events. In the Scottish Parliament, we’ll be hosting a panel discussion including author Christopher Brookmyre and robotics expert Professor Sethu Vijayakumar on our aspirations for 2030 and #OurFutureScotland, along with a challenge on the future world of work: what would Scotland in 2030 look…
NEWS: Following a request from a cross-party group of MSPs, the Futures Forum will consider the landscape for drug use in Scotland.
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 kind of country do we want Scotland to be in 2030? The launch event examined developments in technology as its…
By Rob Littlejohn, Head of Business at Scotland’s Futures Forum Although I’ve titled this blogpost “New kid on the block”, I can’t pretend that I’m that new, having been in the privileged position of Head of Business for Scotland’s Futures Forum since October last year. Since being appointed, I’ve spent a lot of the time getting…