• 2006
• Domain Map
• Exhibit map

The Institute for the Future (IFTF) is an independent, nonprofit research group that works with various organizations to help them make more informed decisions about the future. The Science & Technology Outlook was developed for the UK Department of Trade and Innovation as part of a study of future trends in science and technology. The Institute conducted six workshops with scientists, journalists, venture capitalists, research and development managers, graduate students, and postdoctoral students. The Outlook is the result of the participants’ suggestions, which are circled and color coded to correspond to major research areas or trends identified as major drivers. The time scale and dates of events are intentionally fuzzy, reflecting the uncertainty of the enterprise. Surrounding the timeline are additional events or trends that participants suggested would help shape the direction of science and technology. Like most roadmaps, the Outlook is designed to be a functional object, not an ornamental one. It also represents a convergence of two formerly distinct practices in futures work. The Institute has a history of producing visual maps in its meetings and brainstorming sessions, but traditionally published text-intensive white papers. The Outlook is one of many maps that both summarizes the collective wisdom of its experts and findings of its researchers, and supports facilitated processes that shapes this wisdom into strategy, policy, and action.