Leading from the Future: Strategic Foresight and Emerging Tech Trends with Annie Lindmark
In an era of rapid technological advancement, staying ahead of the curve is essential for any organization aiming to thrive. How can leaders prepare for the future and ensure their organizations remain competitive and resilient?
Annie Lindmark, Program Director at Vinnova, Sweden's innovation agency, recently shared her expertise on strategic foresight methods and emerging tech trends at the DEB executive chair summit. Read more about our learnings here.
Meet the Expert
Annie Lindmark has extensive experience in emerging technology and innovation, both nationally and internationally, including her recent work in Silicon Valley. At Vinnova, she focuses on projects that contribute to a more sustainable world. Her role involves creating conditions for transformative innovations that can address complex global challenges.
The Importance of Thinking About the Future
Lindmark emphasized the need for structured thinking about the future. Leaders should not just react to changes but anticipate them through strategic foresight. Only this way can they avoid the future shock. By preparing for multiple potential futures, organizations can avoid the paralysis that often accompanies unexpected changes.
How to Think About the Future?
Annie Lindmark introduced us to 3 Strategic Foresight Methods.
Signal Gathering: Identifying early indicators of change is crucial. This involves monitoring trends and weak signals that could impact the organization.
Scenario Planning: Creating detailed scenarios helps organizations visualize different futures and develop strategies for each. This process involves asking “What if?” questions to explore various possibilities.
Speculative Design: Provoking emotions and reactions about the future through speculative design can help engage stakeholders and foster a forward-thinking culture.
Technological Supercycle
Annie Lindmark highlighted that we are currently experiencing a technological supercycle. Multiple transformative technologies are developing simultaneously:
Artificial Intelligence (AI): The advancements in AI are reshaping industries and professional practices.
Internet of Things (IoT): The proliferation of connected devices is changing how we interact with the world.
Biotechnology: Innovations in biotechnology, such as generative biology, are bringing profound changes, creating new biological entities and synthetic biology advancements.
Practical Tech Trends to Watch
Apart from the developing technologies that are already transforming our business environment, there are at least these 4 trends boards need to watch if they want to future-proof their companies:
Connected Devices 2.0: The next generation of connected devices will have even more profound impacts on our daily lives and business operations.
Large Action Models: Advances toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) involve integrating sensory experiences like sound and light, making interactions more immersive.
Generative Biology: Biotechnology's advancements in creating new biological materials have significant implications for healthcare, agriculture, and environmental sustainability.
Freedom of Thought: The critical concept for the future is the “freedom of thought”. It involves protecting our mental autonomy in an age where technology can influence our thoughts and decisions. The application of technologies like AI in advertising and consumer behaviour raises ethical questions about autonomy and privacy.
Applying Foresight to Leadership
Lindmark's insights into emerging technologies and the importance of ethical considerations provide a roadmap for leaders to future-proof their organizations.
To apply strategic foresight to leadership, you need proactive preparation. Leaders should move from trying to predict the future to preparing for various possible futures. Not only for them, however, but also for the stakeholders. Creating future scenarios and speculative designs can help engage teams and stakeholders, encouraging them to think about and plan for the future.
Annie Lindmark’s keynote at the Executive Board Summit 2024 emphasized the critical role of strategic foresight in navigating the future. By adopting structured foresight methods, organizations can better prepare for the uncertainties ahead.
Thank you Annie for sharing your expertise and developing Swedish board work together with us.
