UNESCO

On the 16th of October 2025 ICCROM organized a workshop on Strategic Foresight in Heritage taking place in Rome, titled Anticipating Change: Exploring Long-term Futures for Heritage. The purpose of the workshop was to set the foundation for a community of practice surrounding Strategic Foresight in heritage, to build resilience, relevance and agency among heritage organisations in the face of uncertainty and change.

Gustav Wollentz from the UNESCO Chair on Heritage Futures assisted in the organisation and facilitation of the workshop, contributing with a presentation on the value of Strategic Foresight in heritage and moderating parts of the agenda, which included both a hands-on Foresight exercises, the Futures Wheel, as well as a discussion on how to move forward together.

The three goals of the now established community of practice are:

• Connecting and amplifying foresight and innovation efforts across the heritage sector. 
• Co-developing and testing foresight methods in real-world heritage contexts. 
• Building an open repository of trends, tools, and insights tailored to the sector’s needs. 

The workshop gathered representatives from the International Council on Archives, ICOM (International Council of Museums), IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions), NEMO (Network of European Museum Organizations), UNESCO, the French Ministry of Culture, the Swedish National Heritage Board, the Heritage Alliance, the Fondation des Sciences du Patrimoine, the Getty Foundation, and University College London. 

More information on the workshop is available here: https://www.iccrom.org/news/anticipating-change-exploring-long-term-futures-heritage