14:30 – 16:00 Parallel Themed Workshop

FUTURREG sub-project actors and guest presenters will each give 15-20 minute detailed case study presentations of the specific use of futures approaches in their own regional developmental context, in parallel themed workshops.

Theme 1 - Strategic Futures

Futures exercises undertaken for strategic/organisational development

(1) Sligo Institute of Technology (Ireland)

Title: Foresight and Strategic Planning at the Institute of Technology, Sligo, Ireland
Presenter: Dr Richard Thorn, Director IT Sligo
Abstract: The paper describes a novel approach to the development of a new strategic plan in which a modified 'foresight' approach using scenario planning and creative thinking techniques was used to encourage staff engagement with the planning process. The paper describes the output of the process which included a significantly revised mission and vision for the Higher Education Institute (HEI) and the development of an underpinning value set as well as specific strategic objectives. The paper concludes that there was significant staff engagement in the process.

(2) Countryside Council for Wales (Wales)

Title: Use of Futures techniques in medium term Business Planning
Presenter: Martin Parkinson, Head of Corporate Planning and Knowledge Management, CCW
Abstract: The Countryside Council for Wales is the Government's statutory advisor on sustaining natural beauty, wildlife and the opportunity for outdoor enjoyment in Wales and its inshore waters. It champions the environment and landscapes of Wales and our coastal waters as sources of natural and cultural riches, as a foundation for economic and social activity and as a place for leisure and learning opportunities. It aims to make the environment a valued part of everyone’s life in Wales. This project focussed on using futures techniques to support the development of the Corporate Plan 2008-12. The presentation will describe the lessons learned from the project, the changes that have been made to the Corporate Planning process within CCW as a result of the work and how Futures techniques will be used in the future.

(3) Loimaa Region Development Centre (South-Western Finland)

Title: The Loimaa Futures Club - Presentation 1, Presentation 2
Presenters: Pauli Salminen, Managing Director of Loimaa Region Development Centre
Timo Nurmi, Project Manager, Turku School of Economics
Abstract: The Futures Club is an innovative futures tool especially designed for developing the economic life of the region. At the same time it is a practical foresight process and a cooperative network of various regional actors such as business people, entrepreneurs, regional developers, representatives of educational institutes, municipal officials and other authorities. During our application with the help of web based questionnaire and futures workshops we have defined the central driving forces faced by the region and formulated the preferred future for the region. We also have chosen and defined important issues and actions to be done in order to attain the desirable future actors want to happen and formulated draft ideas of future projects.

Theme 2 - Futures in Places

Futures exercises undertaken with a territorial/spatial focus

(1) Satakunta Regional Council (South-Western Finland)

Title: The Satakunta Region’s Futures exercises in practice
Presenter: Tuula Hermunen, Senior Researcher, Satakunta Regional Council
Abstract: The Regional Council of Satakunta, which is in charge of regional planning and development carried out a Futurreg application as a pilot-study for regional long term strategy. The original objective was to build scenarios and involve a large number of stakeholders in the process. However, it became apparent that this scope was far too diverse and complicated to provide completed scenarios for new strategy in the region. On the other hand, the whole process was most valuable as it engaged various stakeholders into futures thinking and networking for further applications. The Delphi method and work-shops were successfully implemented. Extensive questionnaires where conducted in two stages, and feed-back from both was remarkable. In addition, we received a rich resource of good quality study material for further additional use. The Delphi stage was preceded by thematic work-shops which prepared the relevant questions and visions for testing. The people in the work-shops were individuals that we knew who are interested in futures issues and who represented all desired actors including the young. All engaged found futures practices very useful as learning processes and will be committed to employing them in similar forums even in the future. In conclusion, networking and facilitated communication achieved the desired results and succeeded in building material and organisational capacity exploitable into the future as well.

(2) BMW Regional Assembly (Ireland)

Title: Territorial Futures – An example from the BMW Region
Presenter: Kieran Moylan, Assistant Director BMW Regional Assembly
Abstract: This presentation will provide an overview of the context of the BMW Regional Foresight exercise (2004), a description of the process and the tools used, a summary of the outcomes of the process and a review of the main lessons that arose from the process. This ‘territorial’ foresight exercise was the first of its kind in Ireland and involved a high degree of stakeholder participation from public sector, business, higher education and civil society. A central objective was to articulate a coherent, future-oriented strategic vision for the Border, Midland and Western region and to identify key investment priorities for the region for the 2007-13 programme period. The process afforded a deeper appreciation of the external and internal challenges that face the region.

(3) Seraing-Molinay 2017 (Wallonia, Belgium)

Title: Local futures within urban areas: foresight as a social process
Presenter: Michaël Van Cutsem – Cécile Parthoens – Nathalie Boinem
Abstract: Seraing is a middle-sized city located in the heart of the declining industrial steel activity area of Wallonia. As a response to the announced departure of steel Giant Arcelor – Mittal, the city has developed an ambitious urban masterplan for the coming years. The Molinay neighbourhood belongs to this city of Seraing and wishes to fill in the white sheet of the Masterplan regarding its specific situation. This ambition, led by a local association, has been the perfect opportunity for launching an atypical and highly participative foresight exercise at the scale of a quarter / vicinity. This exercise is still in progress at the time of writing but raises already some interesting issues on local governance, democratic process and capacity for action. From a methodological point of view at also challenges the issue of whether a foresight exercise is both relevant and feasible at such a micro-level.

Theme 3 - Sectoral Futures/ Innovation Futures

Futures exercises addressing specific regional sectoral strengths or weaknesses, and the use of futures in developing innovation strategies

(1) Footwear Technology Centre (La Rioja, Spain)

Title: Identification of future technological trends in the footwear sector
Presenters: Alfonso Ruiz (R & D Director, Footwear Technology Centre of La Rioja) & José Ramón Ibáñez (Innovation manager, Economic Development Agency of La Rioja)
Abstract: This regional application is designed to have significant long-term impacts for the development of the footwear sector in our region, especially through identifying the tendencies and key technologies for the future and to select those that appear more promising to concentrate our efforts and investments upon. We have selected this project due to the high economic importance of this sector in La Rioja region and the high impact of the process of globalisation and competition from Asian and Eastern European countries in traditional sectors. This involved bringing together key agents of change and sources of knowledge, in order to develop strategic visions. On the other hand the applications are useful to establish networks of knowledgeable agents. The key actors involved include companies, the government of La Rioja, business sectors, technology centres of the footwear sector, the university of La Rioja and technical experts. The type of fuures tools we used were trend analysis, expert and stakeholders panels and Delphi. Some of the results of the project are to select the scientific-technological areas that can contribute to the development of the footwear sector for La Rioja, create new R & D project derivative of results of the application and to make an action plan to show companies in which areas are investments required towards the desired future.

(2) Teagasc 2030 (Ireland)

Title: Teagasc 2030 – Approach, Progress and Challenges
Presenter: Patrick Crehan
Abstract: The rural economy was once dominated by farming to produce inputs for a food industry that was dominated by beef and dairy, creating products intended mainly for domestic consumption. Today the food industry now imports much of its inputs from as far away as Brazil and it is a major exporter. In the future farmers may produce not only for the food industry but for the pharmaceutical, energy and industrial chemical sectors as well. What we now refer to as the rural economy and what now plays a key role in food security will play an increasingly important role in energy security, in managing climate change and in the general economic transition to a post petroleum world. This has radical implications for all actors of the rural economy and in particular for organisations such as Teagasc (The Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority). A sustained effort will be required in the coming years to position it to take advantage of the opportunities that these transformations provide. Success will require research, innovation and entrepreneurship. Teagasc 2030 is a foresight exercise intended to develop a vision for Teagasc and the Knowledge Based Bio-Economy in 2030. It will provide an action plan and road map to implement activities intended to realise this vision. It employs a range of methods such as thematic paper writing, driver analysis and scenario development. The exercise started in January 2007 and will culminate in a national conference in May 2008.

(3) Digital Thermi (Central Macedonia, Greece)

Title: Scenarios for a Digital Thermi
Presenter: Isidoros Passas, CEO IntelSpace S.A.
Abstract: The application aimed to justify any further actions regarding the transformation of municipality of Thermi towards to a Digital City. This justification has been achieved by applying the "scenario building" technique in order to choose between an infinite number of options and possible configurations in: Communication infrastructures, computing infrastructures, and web applications.

The analysis has revealed best practices in the fields of: e-government, e-services, e-markets, and city’s e-promotion. A detail mapping of the current situation in the Municipality of Thermi has also been done. The proposed scenarios have been evaluated by a team of experts using the criteria such us: Municipality's needs and future directions, technical feasibility and commercial viability of the project, existing circumstances (infrastructures, human resources, etc), total cost and financing opportunities, and medium and long term community effects.