Coordinating:
Erika Vaiginiene (PhD) is an associate professor at Vilnius University Faculty of Economics and Business Administration. She is a Foresight Strategist & Researcher, Change Management and Strategic Management professional, and Policy Maker with 25+ years of experience working in synergy with the academic and business worlds. Her purpose is to drive innovation and shape the future by leveraging research, analytics, and strategic foresight to positively impact business, society, and individuals. I embody this purpose through honesty, fairness, responsibility, and strong commitment. Erika’s passion for research led her to a PhD and deep expertise in both quantitative and qualitative methods, which she applies to high-impact consulting in innovation, entrepreneurship, and policy-making (e.g., strategic foresight: DESY (Germany), strategic projects at Vilnius University, identification of scientific priorities for VMU Agro-Innovation Park, etc.). Recognising the rising importance of foresight, she immersed herself in foresight methodologies at leading global institutions, later contributing as a methodologist to Lithuania 2050 and founding the Millennium Project’s Lithuania node. Erika holds multiple international memberships and certifications, including EFMD-certified Research Manager, FIBAA accreditation expert, and Adizes Change Management Integrator. She is a member of the Academy of Management, European Foresight Network, and the Association of Professional Futurists.
Others:
Alberto Bueno is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Granada (Spain), a member of the Spanish Research Group on Defence, Armed Forces, and Society (RODAS) and the Spanish Foresight Association. His research and teaching focus on security and defence policy, strategic analysis, and strategic foresight. He has contributed to several foresight-oriented projects and studies, including Panorama of Geopolitical Trends, Horizon 2040 (Spanish Ministry of Defence), Future Operating Environment, and the Hybrid Warfare Operational Concept (Spanish Army), while also teaching foresight and intelligence analysis at the postgraduate level and delivering seminars for public and private-sector organisations. Drawing on extensive experience with methods such as horizon scanning, trend and driver analysis, Delphi studies, backcasting, and scenario development, he combines academic research with practical foresight applications to help organisations and decision-makers navigate uncertainty, anticipate emerging challenges, and develop more robust strategies for the future.
Roberto Poli (PhD Utrecht) was a Professor of Philosophy of Science at the University of Trento (Italy). Poli leads the UNESCO Chair on Anticipatory Systems; he teaches Social Foresight and Epistemology of the Social Sciences and directs the Master’s in Social Foresight. Poli is a fellow of the STIAS — Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study. He is the President of AFI-Association of Italian Futurists, and Skopìa, a company offering professional anticipation services. Poli belongs to the editorial committees of many journals (including Futures and European Journal of Future Research). Poli has published 7 volumes; the last being Working with the future, Milan, Bocconi University Press, 2019. He is editor-in-chief of the Handbook of Anticipation (Springer). Poli has edited more than 20 journal volumes or special issues and published more than 250 scientific papers. He is an editor of the Handbook of Futures Studies.
