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Knowledge4Policy
KNOWLEDGE FOR POLICY

Competence Centre on Foresight

We foster a strategic, future-oriented and anticipatory culture in the EU policymaking process.

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Potential implications on Increasing Influence of New Governing Systems

Foresight

Regulations governing the real world should be extended and adapted to the digital world.

Democratization of information sources should be used for a more active engagement of the citizenry in policymaking.

Non-state actors

The power of non-state organizations and forums is growing as they play an increasing role in addressing various challenges – e.g. the various Mayors' organizations, NGOs, expert groups – challenging but also complementing the standard policymaking organizations; therefore, coordination and cooperation among the different actors should increase.

  • Decentralized self-supporting organizations will spread to help cope with hyper-changes.
  • Increasing independent, solo-preneurship and flexible work systems lead to erosion and loss of significance of hierarchy, improved living standards and changes to the governing systems. | Related Megatrends:​ Work
  • “Democracy 4.0” could be expanded to enable comprehensive and transparent participation in the decision-making process
    Related Megatrends: Technology; Geopower; Security

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Digitalization

Policymaking has to adapt to an increasingly digital and data-driven world as well as an increasingly (dis)informed citizenry.

  • AI algorithms are increasingly impacting all aspects of life and add another layer to the governance and security systems. Hence, the codes of ethics that rule algorithms-writing, the level of democracy of the digital world and the general way we address AI will have a determining impact on our future. | Related Megatrends: Technology; Inequalities; Geopower; Work; Security
  • With the help of AI, there could be more personalisation of public services, anticipation of problems, predictive analysis and proactive services, along with an opportunity to rethink and redesign public services in a user-centric way. 
  • Repositories and software for data and information validation could be available to counter the spread of post-truth politics and misinformation fed by the combination of false news reporting and the increasing ubiquity of new forms of journalism and social media. 
  • While smart cities and surveillance-based infrastructure improve living conditions and security, they add a new layer of governance and affect civil liberties. | Related Megatrends:​ Urbanization; Technology; Security
  • Digital literacy development since early childhood could be adopted at all school levels in order to offer better digital equity and tools to forge critical thinking in the digital world in all strands of the society to avoid a widening digital gap.
  • Media literacy for children and educators could become part of the education system to understand and be responsibly engaged with the digital environment and avoid the increasing Privacy paradox.

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