
Attempts to predict the future may be a waste of time,
not trying to understand it is a waste of opportunity.
Marcus Tullius Cicero made a distinction between 'facta: what is accomplished and can be taken as solid' and 'futura: what shall come into being, and is as yet undone'.
The data we have are from the past. We don't have data from the future.
Strategic foresight can lead to a better understanding of the future, helping to avoid risks and seize opportunities that the future holds.

Historia est magistra vitae. History has a defining significance for the identity of nations as well as individuals. The claim that those who do not know history cannot understand the present has its logic, although Orwell warns us in this regard. Despite all of this, it is striking how much attention we devote to the past, or more precisely, how little attention we devote to the future.
Did you know that...
Ukraine holds cca 5% of the world's mineral reserves? Ukraine has approximately 20,000 mineral deposits covering 117 mineral types. 3,055 deposits were in production before the Russian invasion. The EU signed a Strategic Partnership with Ukraine on Raw Materials already in 2021. President Trump has now indicated that he would provide support to Ukraine in exchange for its mineral resources, in particular rare earths. However, Ukraine has more:
- largest titanium reserves in Europe
- world's 5th largest gallium producer
- 20% of global graphite reserves
- one of the largest lithium reserves in Europe
- 2nd in Europe in gas reserves
While geopolitics was at the source of the conflict, geoeconomics may be at the core of its resolution and will certainly be crucial for Ukraine´s post-war reconstruction.
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Statistics of the week
According to the Copernicus program, January 2025 was the warmest January globally, with the average global temperature exceeding the long-term average (1991–2020) by 0.79°C and the pre-industrial level by 1.75°C. The average January temperature in Europe surpassed the long-term average by 2.51°C, making it the second-warmest January in Europe (only January 2020 was warmer). This information follows the findings of the Copernicus Global Climate Report 2024, which confirmed that year 2024 was the warmest year on record. For the first time, the average annual global temperature exceeded the pre-industrial level by 1.5°C — a threshold set by the Paris Agreement to significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change.
The term of the week
Cascading: It is a foresight technique used to explore potential consequences of a weak signal or a change driver. Cascading is carried out in the form of a brainstorming exercise using a cascade diagram. The aim is to allows us to imagine their possible implications Exploring the 1st 2nd 3rd 4th or even 5th order consequence of a chosen weak signal or change driver can be instrumental to deepen understanding of a potentially disruptive change. Ultimately it can provide us with useful ideas to further develop them into good insights or scenarios.
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