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Shaping Tomorrow: Foresight powered Innovation

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COURSE OVERVIEW

This course introduces participants to future foresight and innovation concepts while tailoring the content to the UAE’s vision, initiatives, and strategic priorities. It explores the dynamic relationship between foresight and innovation and equips participants with tools and use cases to develop future-ready strategies.

Facilitator

Modafar Shaker Akhoirshieda

Foresight and Innovation Expert, Emkan Futures

Modafar Akhoirshieda is a seasoned strategist and innovation leader with over 20 years of experience driving transformative projects. Renowned for his analytical thinking, he collaborates with senior leaders to identify opportunities, shape decisions, and deliver impactful results.

Modafar’s passion for future foresight led him to establish the Future Shaping Center for a leading UAE entity. The center adopts global best practices in foresight, including trend monitoring, scenario development, and exploring long-term growth opportunities. Under his leadership, it empowers organizations to integrate foresight into operations, fostering a future-ready mindset.

As the founder of Emkan Futures, Modafar advances futures studies in the MENA region and enriches Arabic resources in this field. Emkan helps clients anticipate and prepare for emerging challenges and opportunities through tailored foresight strategies.

A frequent keynote speaker and panelist, Modafar is also the host of the Emkan Podcast, where he explores foresight and innovation with leading experts. Currently pursuing a doctorate in future thinking and innovation management, Modafar contributes cutting-edge insights to strategic foresight. With an M.Sc. in Wireless Communication Engineering and extensive professional accreditations, his work reflects a commitment to shaping a sustainable and prosperous future regionally and globally.

Pre-requisites

  • No Prerequisites

Date

  • 08 –10 December 2025

Time

  • 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Location

  • Dubai Future Academy, 3D Printed Office

Target audience

  • Everyone

Language

  • Arabic

FEES

  • AED 3,500
  • Per Participant
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COURSE OUTLINE

Day 1

  • Welcome & Intro
  • Intuition and Imagination
  • Future Orientation – Future backwards
  • Foresight Fundamentals #1: Foresight as a Practice
  • Foresight Fundamentals #2: Develop a Foresight Mindset
  • Scanning the Future
  • Ways the Future Could be Different for Me\Us?
  • Foresight Fundamentals #3: Terminologies, What does it mean: signals, drivers/trends
  • Linking drivers and Signals

Day 2

  • Drivers Mapping
  • Foresight Fundamentals #4: The future is here!
  • Signals and Consequences
  • Alt Futures and Scenarios

Day 3

  • Visioning exercise
  • Foresight Fundamentals #5: From foresight to shaping the future.
  • Roadmapping
  • Foresight in Action
  • How could you use it in your context?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of the module, the candidates will be able to

  • Identify the principles of future foresight and innovation and their strategic importance.
  • Outline how foresight drives innovation by identifying trends and future opportunities.
  • Describe how innovation fosters creative approaches to shaping and adapting to the future.
  • Analyze UAE-specific indices like the Dubai Future Readiness Index and Innovation Readiness Index.
  • Apply foresight and innovation tools to create actionable strategies for organizational future readiness.

Learning outcomes

  • Explain the core principles of future foresight and innovation, and articulate their relevance to organizational growth.
  • Identify and analyze emerging opportunities that demonstrate how foresight drives innovation
  • Illustrate how innovation enables the development of new methods for envisioning and shaping future scenarios.
  • Apply foresight and innovation tools to address specific organizational challenges, supported by real-world examples.
  • Evaluate use cases illustrating the integration of foresight and innovation.
  • Align strategies with UAE’s Dubai Future Readiness Index and Innovation Readiness Index.

AGENDA