IDEALIST launches new toolbox to support companies in Strategic Foresight
A practical kit to anticipate change and build business resilience

The European project IDEALIST (“3 InDustrial Ecosystems tAckLing supply chains dISrupTions
and boosting advanced technologies uptake” – www.idealist-project.eu), co-funded by Horizon
Europe, has developed a practical toolbox to support organisations – especially clusters,
business support organisations (BSOs), regional development agencies and intermediaries – in
helping their companies engage in Strategic Foresight processes.
This toolbox is designed for all those actors who support SMEs in understanding weak signals
of change, anticipating disruptions and developing resilient, forward-looking strategies. It offers
step-by-step guidance, workshop formats, and tested methods to facilitate foresight activities at
organisational and ecosystem level.

But what is Strategic Foresight?
Rather than predicting the future, it enables companies to explore plausible future scenarios
based on emerging technological, societal, environmental or geopolitical trends – and to use that
insight to improve strategic decision-making and adaptability. In a world defined by volatility and
complexity, this capacity is becoming essential.
The European Commission and many public administrations have also adopted foresight
methods to shape more robust and responsive industrial policies.
Within IDEALIST – involving 14 partners from 7 European countries – the foresight work has
been led by 4CF (https://4cf.eu/), an internationally recognised think tank based in Warsaw,
specialised in futures research, innovation, and strategic transformation.
The toolbox is now publicly available online: https://www.idealist-project.eu/horizonscanning-how-to-run-a-workshop/

About the Consortium
The IDEALIST consortium comprises a diverse group of partners, including Clusters
organisations, industry leaders and research institutions from 7 European countries,
representing thousands of SMEs across the targeted sectors. An added value to the consortium,
the presence of EIT Manufacturing, a public-private partnership, co-funded by the European
Union and established in 2019. EIT Manufacturing is one of the nine Knowledge and Innovation
Communities (KIC) supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). This
collaboration ensures a broad and inclusive approach, with insights and expertise from across
the industrial spectrum.

For more information, visit: www.idealist-project.eu

For Further Information
For more details about the IDEALIST project, its objectives, and how to get involved, please visit
https://www.idealist-project.eu/ or contact info@idealist-project.eu.
Local contact:
Chemie-Cluster Bayern GmbH
Dr. Ting Liu, Leitung Projektmanagement Förderprojekte
liu@chemiecluster-bayern.de