Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies

Name

Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies

Legal name

Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies

Website

https://cifs.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Strategic Foresight Consulting

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks (EDADADAA)

Keywords

• Strategic foresight consulting
• Futures studies research
• Scenario planning services
• Megatrend analysis advisory
• Futures literacy training

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Advisory Services: Consulting engagements with organizations across public, private, academic, and civic sectors involving futures studies and strategic foresight projects.
2. Courses and Training: Professional courses offered in Copenhagen and online including Applied Strategic Foresight (2600 EUR), Causal Layered Analysis Masterclass (1350 EUR), and partnership with Hyper Island for online programs (2790 USD).
3. Organisational Training: Customized training programs for organizations to build futures thinking capabilities within their teams.
4. Publications and Membership: Sale of publications including scenario reports, digital reports, and FARSIGHT magazine. Futures Membership provides access to knowledge archive and FARSIGHT digital edition.
5. H3 AI Lab: Research and advisory services focused on AI and futures studies applications.
6. Donations and Support: Charitable donations and futures membership support for the organization's non-profit mission, particularly for Teach the Future initiative.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies is an independent, non-profit think tank that provides strategic foresight consulting, professional training courses, organizational development, keynote talks, and research publications to help public, private, academic, and civic sector clients anticipate and shape potential futures. Its offerings center on the proprietary Copenhagen Frame methodology, scenario planning, megatrend analysis, and the annual Futures Barometer survey, delivered through advisory engagements, courses, and the FARSIGHT quarterly magazine.

Product overview

Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies (CIFS) is an independent, non-profit think tank established in 1969 offering a portfolio of foresight and futures studies services. The organization operates as a unified think tank rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core offerings include Advisory Services and the H3 AI Lab for organizational consulting, Courses and Organisational Training for professional development, and Talks for keynote presentations. The Copenhagen Frame provides a structured methodology for futures work. CIFS publishes research through FARSIGHT (quarterly magazine), the Futures Barometer (annual survey), and specialized scenario reports such as Scenarios for Greenland. Educational initiatives include Teach the Future Danmark and the Æon og Mewtronix teaching materials. A Futures Membership program provides access to publications and the digital archive. All services are grounded in over 50 years of global experience in futures studies and foresight.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Teach The Future Danmark: A Danish hub for the global Teach the Future initiative, promoting futures literacy in Danish schools and education system.
• FARSIGHT
• The Copenhagen Frame
• H3 AI Lab
• Futures Barometer

Products and services

• Advisory Services
• Courses
• Organisational Training
• Talks
• Futures Partnership
• H3 AI Lab
• FARSIGHT Magazine
• Futures Barometer
• Teach the Future Danmark
• Futures Membership
• Æon og Mewtronix

Quantifiable outcome

• Futures Barometer 2025 shows 64% of Danes believe political decisions are characterized by short-term thinking rather than sustainable solutions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sitra (Finnish Innovation Fund)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaboration on Futures Barometer research. Sitra launched the first Futures Barometer in Finland in 2019, and CIFS followed with a Danish edition in 2023. Ongoing comparative research and interviews between the two organizations.
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIFS holds a UNESCO Chair in Futures Studies, established to advance futures literacy and integrate futures thinking into policy and education globally.
• The Millennium ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIFS is a node/partner of The Millennium Project, a global futures research organization that develops state-of-the-art futures research methodologies.
• World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIFS is a member of WFSF, the global professional association for futures studies researchers and practitioners.
• Hyper IslandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for online course delivery of 'Strategize like a Futurist' program, combining CIFS futures expertise with Hyper Island's digital learning platform.
• BLOXHUBminorOthersCIFS is located at BLOXHUB, Copenhagen's hub for urban living and innovation, sharing office space with other innovation-focused organizations.
• EpinioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for the Futures Barometer survey, providing population research expertise for understanding Danish citizens' views on the future.
• Teach the FuturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIFS established the Danish hub for the global Teach the Future initiative, working to bring futures literacy into education systems worldwide.
• Institutet för Framtidsstudier (Sweden)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in F-Barometer project examining how citizens in Denmark, Sweden, Poland, and Ukraine perceive the future.
• Professor Sohail InayatullahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-renowned futurist who leads the Causal Layered Analysis Masterclass and collaborated on Æon & Mewtronix educational materials.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Direct peers

• Sitra (Finnish Innovation Fund): Finland's parliamentary futures fund and an active CIFS partner on the Futures Barometer. Sitra produces megatrend reports, scenario work, and policy foresight, directly comparable to CIFS's advisory and research portfolio.
• World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF): Global professional association for futures researchers and practitioners, of which CIFS is a member. It is comparable as an institutional platform for futures studies scholarship, conferences, and network-building.
• The Millennium Project: Global futures research organization of which CIFS is already a node. It produces the State of the Future reports and global outlook research, making it a direct peer in scenario development and long-term policy foresight.
• Institute for the Future (IFTF): Founded in 1968, IFTF is the closest direct peer to CIFS: an independent futures research and consulting organization offering forecasts, scenario planning, and research for governments and enterprises. It overlaps closely with CIFS in foresight methodology, advisory services, and educational programs.

Regional players

• Hyper Island: Swedish digital learning organization that is both a CIFS channel partner (delivering the online 'Strategize like a Futurist' course) and a Nordic peer offering futures-relevant leadership and innovation education. Comparable as a Nordic-base learning provider but with a broader innovation curriculum.
• Institutet för Framtidsstudier (Institute for Futures Studies, Sweden): Swedish national institute for futures studies and lead partner in CIFS's comparative F-Barometer project. Comparable because it conducts academic futures research and policy foresight, but with a primarily Swedish and academic-government orientation.

Broad incumbents

• McKinsey Global Institute: Produces influential long-horizon research on global economic, technological, and societal trends. Comparable to CIFS in delivering authoritative foresight at scale, but as part of McKinsey's broader strategy consulting franchise.
• Arup Foresight: Foresight and scenario-planning practice within global engineering and design firm Arup. Comparable because it applies futures thinking to built environment and infrastructure clients, but as a sub-unit of a much larger professional services firm.
• GBN (Global Business Network, now part of Monitor Deloitte): Pioneer of corporate scenario planning, now embedded within Monitor Deloitte. Comparable because it delivers foresight and scenario workshops to enterprises, but as part of a much larger consulting portfolio.

Emerging players

• RethinkX: Independent think tank producing scenario-based forecasts on disruptive technologies (energy, transport, food). Comparable in its scenario-and-megatrend methodology and policy-facing publications, but more narrowly focused on technology disruption.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/futuresstudies
• Facebookfacebook.com/cphfuture
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cphfutures
• Instagraminstagram.com/cphfutures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies