Let’s have a brief look at brands using foresight. Today, it’s Philips.

Many large and forward-thinking companies have established capacities specialising in strategic foresight, scenario planning, and trend analysis. These teams or individuals are responsible for identifying emerging trends, potential disruptors, and long-term opportunities and threats, actively contributing to the corporate long-term strategies. While it’s challenging to provide an exhaustive list, we present a series of examples of companies known for their investment in foresight activities helping them to achieve long term goals and desired futures.

In the annals of corporate history, Philips emerges as a quintessential exemplar of adaptability and resilience, its narrative etched with the indelible ink of strategic foresight and tenacity. As the precipice of the new millennium loomed, a seismic shift in the technology landscape demanded a decisive response from the stalwart conglomerate. Philips, once synonymous with illuminating the world, astutely recognized the imperative to pivot its focus towards the burgeoning frontier of health technology, a calculated manoeuvre poised to redefine its corporate trajectory.

Against the backdrop of escalating competition and rapid technological evolution, Philips orchestrated a bold strategic realignment, divesting from its conventional bastions to position itself as a preeminent authority in diagnostic imaging, patient monitoring, and health informatics. In the crucible of transformation, the company’s prescience yielded dividends, securing its stature as a titan in the realm of healthcare innovation. Through astute integration of cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence and data analytics, Philips charted a course towards revolutionising healthcare delivery, thereby cementing its status as a trailblazer in the field.

An important role in this paradigmatic shift is to be attributed to Reon Brand, Senior Director: Foresight, Trends and People Research at Philips Design till the end of 2023, who was an important visionary and orchestrator of the corporate evolution. Through seminal research endeavours such as “Rethinking Value in a Changing Landscape,” Brand and his cohorts navigated the complex currents of socio-economic transformation, illuminating a path towards a future characterised by holistic health and accessible healthcare. Brand’s intellectual prowess, honed through his formative experiences in the corporate crucible, served as a lodestar for Philips’ metamorphosis into a knowledge-driven enterprise, replete with innovative solutions and forward-thinking initiatives.

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