Purpose – This Guest Editorial aims to demonstrate the diversity of application fields in which FTA methods are being used and to offer a glimpse into possible consequences that grand challenges may imply for the development of FTA. Design/methodology/approach – This introductory paper...

This report is the Final Report of the ‘Final Evaluation of Security Research under the Seventh Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration (FP7)’, which was commissioned, in 2014, by Directorate-General Enterprise and Industry (DG ENTR). A consortium led by...

Purpose – As in other socio‐technical fields, future‐oriented technology analysis (FTA) methods are used in transport planning to provide knowledge for decision‐making. Potential effects of policy interventions should be assessed; risk and uncertainties should be reduced; unintended effects...

Purpose – This paper aims to present an exploration of recent work in complexity theory to explain why and how disruptive events happen in systems and how responses could be better, particularly in the policy‐making arena. Design/methodology/approach – The main method applied is critical...

Purpose – The objective of this paper is to present an example on how futures studies methodologies, especially backcasting, can be used to assist public policy formulation. Backcasting is particularly interesting method in this context, since it allows the key characteristics concerning the...

Purpose – This article aims to show the opportunity and benefits of linking territorial foresight tools to urban planning procedures. Additionally, it suggests ways to reinforce the scenario design method with more in‐depth analysis, without losing its qualitative nature and communication...