Futures Studies Conference 2026 (Convegno di Futures Studies 2026)
Beyond the Horizons: Long-Term Perspectives
📍 Naples, Italy
📅 24–26 September 2026
The Futures Studies Conference 2026, organised by the Italian Institute for the Future, will bring together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and organisations working with futures studies and strategic foresight.
The 2026 edition focuses on long-term thinking as a response to short-termism and global polycrisis. Under the theme Beyond the Horizons: Long-Term Perspectives, the conference will examine how individuals, institutions, and societies can recover a deeper sense of time, strengthen responsibility toward future generations, and integrate longer-term perspectives into present-day decisions.
The programme will also critically explore how long-term narratives are shaped and contested, including the influence of technology companies and powerful actors seeking to define humanity’s distant future.
Conference Themes
The conference welcomes contributions across areas including:
Theories and methods for long-term thinking
Future generations and intergenerational responsibility
Corporate foresight and long-term business planning
Public policy, anticipatory governance, and international affairs
Geopolitical scenarios for 2030–2050
Futures education and professional learning
Speculative design and long-term imaginaries
Culture, museums, and future-oriented cultural policy
Sustainability, gender futures, and generational impact assessment
Formats
The programme will include:
Research and practitioner presentations
Curated panels
Interactive workshops
Informal “Futurist Happy Hour” conversations
Opportunities to publish selected contributions in the journal Futuri and other academic publications
Special Programme
The conference forms part of a wider Future Week in Naples.
From 20–23 September, the Italian Institute for the Future will host the first International School of Futures Studies, dedicated to The Art and Science of Long-Term.
On 24 September, futurist Bill Sharpe will lead a special masterclass on the Three Horizons framework, based on his book Three Horizons: The Patterning of Hope.
Venues
The opening session on 24 September will take place at the Donnaregina Monumental Complex, while the main conference sessions on 25–26 September will be held at Palazzo Cappuccini Art Relais.
Key Dates
Call for proposals deadline: 20 July 2026
Programme published: 3 August 2026
Early-bird registration deadline: 12 August 2026
Conference: 24–26 September 2026
The Futures Studies Conference is the principal annual gathering of Italy’s futures studies and strategic foresight community, combining theoretical reflection, methodological development, and practical application.