Metascan 4: Future of Asia

Asia will play an increasingly important role in the world because of its huge market that could drive global growth and has its increasingly well-educated population that could be a major source of innovation in all spheres of human endeavour. Changes in the social, technological, economic, environmental, and political and security realms will reshape Asia over the next decade. For Canada, whose future will increasingly entwine with Asia, a good first step would be to explore the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Between May and December 2014, Horizons collaborated with a range of federal organizations on a foresight study to explore the increasing importance of Asia and its impact on Canada.  The process had two distinct phases: the scanning phase (May – August 2014) and the foresight phase (September – December 2014).

The study was a dialogue-based foresight process that used modern foresight tools to engage knowledgeable participants in exploring alternative plausible futures and their potential implications. This unique method allowed participants to explore the forces of change taking shape in Asia and their potential implications for Canada.