This episode of 'The New Abnormal' podcast features Paulo Carvalho, an expert in Foresight, Strategy and Innovation, with more than 20 years of experience in public and private organisations, working on consulting projects, and also developing teaching, training and research activities in those fields.

Paulo is also an expert and consultant for the World Economic Forum, European Commission, Joint Research Centre and European Environmental Agency. He’s the founder of "IF Insight & Foresight", a consulting studio that combines Foresight, Strategy and Innovation to create added value and distinctive experiences for organisations and professionals.

Re: those areas, over the last 15 years he’s carried out multiple research and academic activities at the ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management (University of Lisbon), and from 2020 to 2023 he was the Exec Director of the ISEG MBA.

In our wide-ranging conversation, Paulo talks about his forthcoming book ‘The Power of the Future(s)’ which aims to make foresight accessible to everyone, positioning futures literacy as a fundamental human capability rather than a specialist discipline, and its importance in an increasingly uncertain world.

Drawing on almost three decades of professional experience, he explains why foresight is about exploring possibilities rather than predicting outcomes, and why its ultimate value lies in translating anticipation into action. He discusses megatrends, weak signals, wildcards, and critical uncertainties, etc, introduces his scanning / sensing / acting framework and ‘Futures 360’ learning platform, and also explores how AI is transforming foresight practice.

So…enjoy!

This episode of The New Abnormal podcast features Nik Badminton, a futurist keynote speaker and AI keynote speaker who helps leaders explore possible futures and make stronger decisions today.

His work connects emerging trends with the choices organisations face over the next ten years and beyond. Across more than 30 years, Nik has worked for clients such as NASA, Disney, Google, Microsoft and the United Nations. He's also an author, and in this episode we focused on his new title “The Hope Engineer’s Playbook”, and the belief that hope can become a practical organisational capability rather than simply an emotion or expression of optimism.

Drawing partly on positive psychology and hope theory, he describes “hope engineers” as people who explore alternative futures, create compelling visions and help organisations develop multiple pathways towards preferred outcomes. Hope provides the energy for change; futures thinking provides destinations and possibilities; and wisdom provides guidance. This combination forms the core of his Futures–Hope–Wisdom approach.

A recurring theme is the damaging short-termism of modern organisations. Nik argues that the pandemic accelerated an already-existing tendency towards increasingly compressed planning horizons. Genuine futures work, by contrast, should look ten, twenty or more years ahead, enabling organisations to identify signals of change, understand emerging trends and rehearse alternative scenarios.

This connects to what he describes as a poverty of imagination. Organisations absorbed by immediate delivery can struggle to imagine radically different possibilities. Futures thinking therefore creates strategic space for asking bigger questions, challenging assumptions and exploring different pathways before disruption occurs.

The conversation also explores AI. Rather than regarding AI as a universal productivity solution, he advocates selective, intelligent application. AI should support strategic inquiry, while human judgement, wisdom and imagination remain essential.

The wider message is that futures thinking becomes more powerful when combined with hope, agency and action: helping individuals and organisations move beyond reacting to change towards actively shaping better futures.

So, I hope you enjoy listening to Nik as much as I did!

This episode of 'The New Abnormal' podcast features Tanja Schindler, who has over a decade of international experience and deep expertise in the fields of foresight, innovation, strategy, and leadership.

As a keynote speaker, she inspires companies, organisations, and individuals to see uncertainty as an opportunity, develop a futures-oriented mindset, and take strategic action toward desirable futures. In her former role as Chair of the APF, she made significant contributions to the global community of futurists.

She has held leading roles in multiple European Commission foresight projects, particularly those focused on participatory approaches. She also serves as an expert within the WEF's Global Foresight Network. In her current position as Senior Foresight Strategist at Kaufland, she leverages her expertise to develop innovative, forward-looking strategies that drive long-term transformation.

In our interview, Tanja explains her viewpoints about moving foresight beyond prediction towards participation, imagination and collective agency. She argues that organisations and societies need to become better at imagining desirable futures together, using storytelling, speculative artefacts and immersive experiences to make alternative futures tangible.

Our conversation also explores the European Commission’s “Futures Garden”, the importance of hope alongside risk, why corporate foresight should look at least ten years ahead, and the limitations of trend-led thinking. It concludes by connecting foresight with philosophy, ethics, sustainability, human connection and the urgent need to rebuild trust and constructive dialogue…

So, I hope you enjoy listening to her as much as I did!