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A collection of news, notes, reflection on our workshops or events we attended. Lab sessions | Reaching out | Notes and thoughts | Publications
10 Sep 2018Migration version of the Scenario Exploration System increasingly used with migration officials, researchers and civil society
Dissemination of the migration version of the Scenario Exploration System (SES) serious game is gaining pace. This summer, the EU Policy Lab was invited to facilitate game sessions and train "scenario exploration masters" at two bigger events. Altogether, over 100 participants experienced the game. In August, we took part in the 6th EMN Educational Seminar on Migration: Causes and Consequences of Forced Migration (22 - 24 August 2018) organised by the UN Migration Agency, International Organisation for
4 Sep 2018Megatrends workshop with East Poland House
In our foresight work, we use megatrends (long-term driving forces that are observable now and will most likely have significant influence on the future) to consider in a structured way all the various changes going on in different areas. Our basis is a set of 14 global megatrends that are relevant for the future of Europe, organized in the Megatrends Hub. It is also a great way of introducing a structured way of thinking about
4 Sep 2018Policy conception – issue mapping with Eurostat and EU Member States
In the first half of this year, we have been working with the Eurostat unit responsible for agriculture and fisheries statistics. They are setting up a system of statistics on agricultural input and output (SAIO), together with Member States' statistical services. Our role was to help develop a format for the discussions of Directors of Agricultural Statistics from across the EU at their annual meeting, so that they would be in a position to give
20 Jul 2018RapidFutureGovernmentPrototyping
Speculating about the Future of Government 2030+ In the course of the FTA2018 conference, about 25 people gathered to ideate about future forms and processes of decision making. International foresight and design experts met with public servants from the European Commission that are working on public administration innovation. This interesting group was provoked by two future persona stories from the Future of Government 2030+ project that were build up in a series of citizen dialogues
12 Jul 2018Integration in the context of diversity: discussing new developments and future challenges
The high inflow of refugees and migrants to Europe in 2015 and 2016 put a renewed policy focus on integration, and it also revived the question "integration into what?" considering growing diversity in European societies. What are new developments and emerging issues related to integration and diversity and what will be upcoming challenges in the mid-term future? Representatives from local and regional authorities, civil society, the European Commission and researchers gathered in an expert session
14 Jun 2018Support to policy conception – platform to business relations
Throughout 2017 the EU Policy Lab provided support to the Directorate‑General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT) and Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) in the analytical work that led to preparing a policy proposal on improving business relationships between online platforms (such as e-commerce or app stores, social media) and those who offer products and services through them (i.e. platforms' business users). As the research and development work
2 Jun 2018Industrial Landscape Generator
The Industrial Landscape Generator is a participatory method developed by the JRC on the basis of its foresight work. It has been developed on demand from services of the European Commission to produce practical recommendations for action in the context of industrial policy. It has been applied to diverse industrial sectors. The tool takes a long-term perspective (vision) and generates recommendations for all relevant stakeholders, especially policy makers and the selected industrial sectors themselves, for
1 Jun 2018Complex System Analyzer
The Complex System Analyser is a participatory tool that was developed by the JRC together with a range of experts. Its purpose is to decompose and analyse any complex system so as identify the key leverage points on which to act if one wants to influence this system. It was developed to analyse the food chain in the context of food security. What the Complex System Analyzer provides The Complex System Analyser is a participatory
31 May 2018Megatrends Implications Assessment
The "Megatrends Implications Assessment" is a workshop tool on anticipatory thinking and foresight for policy makers developed by the JRC together with experts in Foresight from Future Impacts. It uses visual and facilitation techniques to structure a 360 degree review of political questions in an engaging way. What the Megatrends Implications Assessment provides The Megatrends workshop offers a short, easily accessible, very understandable, attractive workshop format on the basis of the FOR-KNOW megatrends that
30 May 2018Scenario Exploration System (SES)
The 'Scenario Exploration System' (SES) is an award winning future simulation tool developed by the JRC together with experts in serious games from the Hawaii Research Center for Futures Studies. It uses engagement techniques from the entertainment world to engage participants in the full richness of the systemic collective reflection created when building scenarios. What the SES provides The SES provides a platform that engages participants in future-oriented systemic thinking. It makes participants take action