What is the BOHEMIA study?
BOHEMIA is the main EU strategic foresight study in support of the Commission's proposal for Horizon Europe - the EU framework programme for research and innovation 2021-2027.
Download the final report
BOHEMIA foresight study outlining potential policies to tackle future challenges. Global trends, combined with inertia in Europe's economies and societies and their chronic underinvestment in research and innovation, are likely to result in serious challenges.
Key policy recommendations
EU research and innovation policies must be transformative
Future challenges need not only higher research and development investment but systemic transitions towards a sustainable world.
The study details 4 areas of systemic transition for a sustainable future
- innovation: harnessing the forces of change
- governance: joining forces for a better world
- social needs: providing for the needs of people
- the biosphere: saefguarding a hospitable planet
Policy experimentation and social innovation are needed to stimulate these transitions.
Anticipation and preparation needs to be at the heart of research and innovation policy
It is not enough for EU research and innovation to generate innovations that don't already exist. Research and innovation policy must anticipate and prepare for changes in science, technology, innovation, society, economies and politics.
Likely, aspirational and disruptive future scenarios should be considered when defining priorities.
Public engagement and evidence is needed
When programming research and innovation investments evidence from analyses and from public engagement and deliberation should be taken into account.
Future scenarios
As part of its recommendations, the BOHEMIA study identified 19 likely future scenarios with disruptive implications and associated priority directions for EU research and innovation. All these reports are available to download below.
They cover a variety of potential future scenarios including the desirable, challenges and threats.
New services and technologies such as robot assistants, virtual trainers and small exoskeletons.
Exploring and exploiting biological resources brings growth and environmental benefits.
Electricity from a smart grid of novel and renewable sources.
EU governments strengthening collaboration to build a response to cybersecurity hacks based on social participation and technology.
Using medical science and public health advice, society has nearly defeated communicable diseases in humans.
In-depth understanding of markers of emotions and hyper-connectivity make the internet a space of emotional transparency.
Average life expectancy increases as human organs and tissues can be replaced without complication.
Data analytics and robotics combine with societal participation in security policies and practices to anticipate and mitigate threats.
The EU has become a carbon neutral zone, slashing the release of greenhouse gases.
Europe is more self-sufficient and competitive in its industries due to sustainable and circular consumption.
Global value chains are transformed by mature 3D printing technologies.
A new economic paradigm that values biodiversity and natural ecosystems.
Using a variety of technologies to anticipate and cure illnesses.
Basic income guarantees and digital solutions work is transformed as people work for the sense of purpose it brings.
Half of EU citizens don't own a car as widely accessible transport and electrification of transport are a reality.
Miniaturisation and energy self-sufficiency of microsensors allows the generation of massive amounts of data which can be used for good governance or malicious purposes.
To satisfy demand, a sustainable, secure, efficient healthy and inclusive food supply system prevail including traditional and novel types of food.
Digitilisation has transformed science, technology, research and education. People benefit, but institutions find it challenging to adapt.
Expert systems used routinely to predict and manage all kinds of situations.
Other reports from the BOHEMIA study
New Horizons: Future Scenarios for research and innovation policies in Europe
A literature review and synthesis into a set of scenarios that aim to sketch possible future settings and boundary conditions for the development of future research and innovation policy and funding.
It was the outcome of the first phase of the BOHEMIA study and provided inputs to the Lamy Group.
New Horizons: Data from a Delphi survey in support of future European Union policies in research and innovation
A report with the data from a Delphi survey to gain new insights into future technologies, societal issues, and research practices.
It was the outcome of the second phase of the study and provided the raw material on which the final report and its scenarios are based.