The Foresight Academy of Southwest Finland (EKA) continues to strengthen its operations in autumn 2026 by investing in closer cooperation with working life, up-to-date foresight information, and the identification of education and skills needs. The broad regional network brings together actors from education, business, and the public sector to anticipate the future of skills.
The autumn programme is built particularly around working life forums and signal sessions. The working life forums generate solutions for short- and medium-term skills needs, while signal sessions focus on long-term developments and future outlooks.
A key event will be the foresight forum held on 19 August, where transformative technologies meet the ethos of creativity. In addition, a working life forum will be organised on 22 September with the theme of innovations for sustainable growth and RDI, particularly from the perspectives of regional growth, investments, and skills.
Sectoral foresight under development – new model in pilot phase
The goal for autumn is also to pilot and test sectoral foresight in a new way, combining multiple data sources and methods—such as foresight materials, statistics, surveys, and signal data—into one integrated whole, partly supported by AI.
The aim is to produce sector-specific insights, including:
- the regional occupational structure
- skills needs and their evolution
- key future phenomena
- and concrete development recommendations for education
The model is still preliminary and under development, and it will be tested in practice in cooperation with the network.
ENTEET project strengthens the knowledge base – maritime cluster in pilot phase
Foresight Academy’s knowledge base is currently being developed within the ENTEET project, which focuses on modern data services and better utilisation of foresight information. The project produces regionally relevant and up-to-date data, for example on sector-specific skills needs and their development trends.
In practice, ENTEET:
- develops data services and visualisations (including Power BI)
- brings foresight information together into a single user interface
- supports sectoral foresight and decision-making
The project is being piloted on the Foresight Academy’s website, where sector-specific analysis is tested. The first pilot focuses on a maritime cluster subpage.
Towards more impactful foresight
The development of Foresight Academy is based on a comprehensive approach that integrates:
- Working life forums and signal sessions
- sector-specific work
- future workshops and foresight forums
- and data services supporting continuous learning
The goal is to ensure that foresight information is effectively translated into practicing education, working life, and regional development. In addition, the aim is to ensure strong links to the ecosystem for continuous learning and to economic development activities.
News now available in three languages
EKA’s communications have been renewed: news on the Foresight Academy website is now available in Finnish, Swedish, and English, strengthening accessibility and visibility both nationally and internationally.
Further information:
Esa Högblom
Regional Council of Southwest Finland