This morning, Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with the members of the newly established Council of the Future at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. We have now learned the composition of this new advisory body, which includes leaders in technology, science, and innovation from fields such as AI, space, biotechnology, security, and investments. While this is a very positive signal, the key question remains: will Poland treat strategic foresight as a genuine tool for planning state policies and strategies?

Strategic foresight involves systematic work with trends, scenarios, risks, and opportunities to ensure that public decisions are made proactively rather than merely in reaction to crises. In many countries, foresight is a permanent element of strategic management. In Finland, for example, it is embedded in the culture of public institutions and parliamentary work (through the Committee for the Future), with the government producing cyclical reports. This ensures that work on the country’s long-term development continues regardless of electoral changes.

The best models for state foresight bodies rely on a continuous process. They generate concrete deliverables, such as megatrend reviews, scenarios, state resilience tests, and recommendations that form the basis for real decision-making. Crucially, they require strong analytical backing—teams that work with data and established methodologies, rather than relying solely on expert intuition and experience.

The composition of the Polish Council suggests a strong focus on the technological aspects of development. While this makes sense, it also narrows the scope to a “technological turbo,” leaving broader areas of state planning—such as demographics, health, climate, education, migration, and institutional resilience—largely unaddressed for now.

For the Council to operate effectively and genuinely influence the modernization of the state, three conditions must be met:

1. A sustainable working model: The Council must produce measurable outputs like reports, scenarios, recommendations, and priorities, rather than just holding meetings.
2. Transparent implementation: The government must clearly demonstrate what it is doing with the Council’s recommendations.
3. Analytical support: Without proper backing, even the most exceptional lineup of experts will function as nothing more than a discussion panel rather than a strategic management tool.

In practice, the Council of the Future will prove its credibility if, within the next 6 to 12 months, we see a cyclical “Report on the Future of Poland,” clearly defined technological priorities backed by implementation instruments (budget, regulations, public procurement), and an execution mechanism that supports cross-sectoral collaboration and institutional continuity.

Fingers crossed! If Poland takes this project seriously, it could become one of the most important state initiatives. The most interesting part is still ahead of us.

More about it at Businessinsider.pl.