Epaminondas Christophilopoulos 'The Future is always uncertain...'
Jan 10, 2025
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Epaminondas Christophilopoulos, a foresight and innovation advisor and UNESCO Chair on Futures Research, shares fascinating insights from his extensive career. He discusses the importance of a 'futures mindset' in navigating global challenges like climate change and technology. Christophilopoulos also explores the transformative role of art in society and introduces the SPF game for fostering creative foresight. Additionally, he delves into Russian Cosmism, a radical philosophical perspective aimed at transformative societal changes.
Epaminondas Christophilopoulos highlights the crucial role of art in fostering creativity necessary for envisioning future possibilities and driving innovation.
He emphasizes the need for corporations to embrace a futures mindset to strategically address major global trends like climate change and technological evolution.
Deep dives
The Unconventional Journey of Nondas Poulos
Nondas Christofilo Poulos, a physicist turned foresight and strategy advisor, reflects on his non-linear career path shaped by various experiences in climate research and innovation policy. His initial work focused on atmospheric physics, which later evolved as he engaged with international research cooperation between the EU and other regions. The economic crisis in Greece prompted him to explore foresight through a connection made at a futures conference in the U.S., leading to his involvement in the Millennium Project and subsequently UNESCO. His diverse professional journey highlights the enriching nature of connecting with different cultures, which has profoundly influenced his ideological perspectives and career trajectory.
The Role of Art in Foresight and Society
Poulos emphasizes the interconnection between art and foresight, arguing that art plays a vital role in fostering creativity and imagination necessary for envisioning the future. He discusses his involvement with MOMUS, a significant organization in Thessaloniki dedicated to contemporary art, which allows him to influence local society through various artistic initiatives. Through workshops and exhibitions, he aims to bridge the gap between futures thinking and younger generations, providing educational resources for schools focused on foresight programs. The transformative power of art, as demonstrated by historical movements like Cosmism, illustrates its potential to spur innovation and societal change.
Challenges and Opportunities in Strategic Foresight
The podcast addresses the current state of foresight practices, stressing the rise of so-called futurists who may lack a foundational understanding of established foresight methods. Poulos expresses concern about the influx of individuals promoting questionable foresight practices, highlighting the need for critical evaluation and adherence to proven methodologies. He acknowledges the necessity for foresight practitioners to develop a futures mindset within organizations to address today's pressing challenges, such as climate change and resource scarcity. This mindset is essential for both individuals and organizations to navigate uncertainties while recognizing potential opportunities for innovation.
The Impact of Global Trends on Corporations
Poulos delineates major global trends, including climate change and technological evolution, which he encourages corporations to acknowledge and address strategically. Despite the clear presence of these trends, he notes a troubling inertia among corporate governance, hindering proactive responses to evolving market demands. Poulos emphasizes that understanding these trends can not only help mitigate risks but also reveal opportunities for transformative change and resilience. This perspective calls for corporations to embrace foresight training, reinforcing the significance of adapting to societal shifts and emerging challenges.
This episode of The New Abnormal podcast features Epaminondas Christophilopoulos, who is a Foresight, Strategy, Innovation and long-term planning advisor to government, private corporations and NGOs.
A highly experienced foresight researcher with an extensive track-record on international projects and sound academic credentials, he's an expert on internationalization and research commercialization, and has managed projects in Asia, Latin America, and Africa.
With a track record on several boards and expert advisory role in public policy institutions in Innovation, Culture, Agrofood, Environment, Security; Epaminondas is a UNESCO Chair on Futures Research, the President of MOMus, and is the ex-Chief Scientific Advisor for Foresight to the Greek Prime Minister.
In this episode we cover all of the above, along with his views on a range of catalytic issues being discussed in futurist-circles in 2025. And, as a bonus, he also discusses 'Russian Cosmism' a radical biopolitical utopian perspective espoused by the philosopher Nikolai Fedorov in the late 19th C, in which he 'rejected the contemplative for the transformative, aiming to create not merely new art or philosophy but a new world'.
So...enjoy!
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