Policy lensing of futures intelligence: connecting foresight with decision making contexts

Foresight practitioners, both in academic and professional spheres, have developed a wealth of tools, techniques and applications of foresight for forecasting science and technology developments, up to and including technology transitions and innovation system transformations. Futures intelligence, such as scenarios, has proven to be a valuable catalyst for strategic conversations in various stakeholder groups such as universities, research funders, industry and civil society. Futures intelligence holds particular relevance for policy makers active in research, innovation and technology policy. However, the often very rich and complex exploratory scenarios that are incorporating policy as an endogenous element are difficult to translate into policy relevant intelligence. In fact, we have found the literature rather lacking in this regard.