Three films from the future

We live in a time of exponential development. William Hurley, founder and CEO of quantum computer startup Strangeworks, puts it this way:

"We are on the verge of the greatest period of technological advances in the history of mankind. I feel people are not only not ready for this, but they're also not even aware it's happening. We're going to see more changes in the next decade than we have in the past 100 years. People can naysay it all they want, but the technological change about to occur cannot be stopped"

In recent months, the development of AI and technological breakthroughs have shown us that the step into an uncertain future is fast. It's exciting, but for many also terrifying. Many question where we are going and how ready we are.

But no matter how we feel, we can't bury our heads in the sand. We face challenges that are both very complex and global. We must act and be part of shaping the future. To deal with challenges such as poverty, climate change and inequality in health - individual efforts are not enough. Changes are required at the system level. If we are to reach a sustainable future in time, we must think and collaborate in new ways.

Som Sveriges's innovation authority works Vinnova actively with foresight - to get better at understanding what lies around the corner. The aim is to become more prepared and have a strategic plan for how we can face different futures.

Foresight is an approach that gives us the power to help shape the future - not just let it happen. It is not about predicting the future, no one can do that, but about working with scenarios about possible futures based on the knowledge we have today.

Amy Webb, world-renowned futurist, puts it this way:

"Foresight isn't about making predictions, it's about preparation. It's about making better decisions in the present”

A powerful method in foresight is speculative design. Speculative design is about challenging ideas we have about how the world works, and exploring what the world and our society COULD look like. Before Bifrost Summit and Sweden Innovation Days 2023– we produced three films. These films we used to start days or sessions.

The films invite us into a fictional experience of an alternative future. The content of the films is based on facts and weak or strong signals we see today. It is not desired visions or forecasts - but a speculative picture of different futures - which may contain more or less traces of reality. The purpose of the films is to arouse emotions and start conversations - about what kind of future we want and don't want. For us to get involved - and to the extent possible together contribute to a desired future.

The three films about the future