What Policy Horizons Canada does

Policy Horizons Canada is the Government of Canada's centre of excellence in strategic foresight, operating as a federal agency under Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and reporting through the Deputy Minister to the Minister of Jobs and Families. Headquartered in Ottawa with 11-50 employees, the organization applies established foresight methodologies — trend analysis, weak signals identification, scenario planning, and system mapping — to produce research that informs federal policy and program development. It does not develop or operate proprietary technology products.

Its core offerings comprise six modules of Foresight Training (introduction, assumptions, scanning, system mapping, change drivers, scenarios), a Competencies Framework for Foresight Practice, the annual Futures Week virtual event series (running since 2021), and four primary research streams: AI Futures (scenarios and policy considerations), Geotechnomics (geopolitics-technology-economics intersections), Social/Economic/Governance Futures, and the recurring 'Disruptions on the Horizon' scan (35 disruptions in the 2024 edition). Distribution is exclusively through the official website, email newsletter, and social channels (X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram); the Federal Foresight Network serves as an internal channel embedding foresight practice across federal departments.

The business model is non-commercial: Policy Horizons is funded through parliamentary appropriations to ESDC, with no pricing applied to its reports, training, or events. Its customer base is restricted to Government of Canada departments, agencies, and federal public servants, with the Federal Foresight Network and Futures Week extending soft reach to external foresight practitioners and the general public. Leadership includes Director General Kristel Van der Elst (former Head of Strategic Foresight at the World Economic Forum) and directors with specialized foresight training.

Name

Policy Horizons Canada

Legal name

Policy Horizons Canada

Website

https://horizons.service.canada.ca

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Policy Horizons Canada is the Government of Canada's centre of excellence in strategic foresight, producing scenario reports, horizon scans, and training modules to help federal departments and public servants anticipate future trends and disruptions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Foresight and Policy Advisory Services

NAICS

International Affairs (928120), Public Finance Activities (92113)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Central Government Policy, Strategy & Performance (incl. OMB-style functions) (BPAIAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Sector & Policy Consulting (BPAHACAN), Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)

Keywords

• Strategic foresight research
• Policy analysis services
• Scenario planning
• Trend analysis
• Foresight training

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Policy Horizons Canada is the Government of Canada's centre of excellence in foresight, providing strategic foresight research, scenario development, and policy analysis to federal departments and agencies. It produces reports, foresight briefs, and learning materials; delivers a six-module Foresight Training program; and hosts the annual Futures Week event to build future-oriented thinking capacity across the federal public service.

Product overview

Policy Horizons Canada is the Government of Canada's centre of excellence in foresight, operating as a policy analysis and research organization rather than a commercial product company. Its offerings include a comprehensive six-module Foresight Training Manual for public servants, the annual Futures Week conference series, and four primary research streams: AI Futures (scenarios and policy considerations on artificial intelligence), Geotechnomics Reports (geopolitics-technology-economics intersections), Social Futures Research (trust, resilience, and societal change), Economic Futures Research (future of work, value, and digital economy), and Governance Futures Research (disruptions and existential risks). The organization produces reports, videos, articles, and learning materials to help the federal government build stronger policies in an uncertain future. Key publications include 'Foresight on AI: Scenarios for an AI-enabled World', 'Exploring change in geotechnomics', and 'Disruptions on the Horizon 2024'.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Foresight Training Modules (1-6)
• Futures Week Annual virtual event exploring emerging issues, opportunities, and challenges through foresight lenses. Open to public servants, foresight practitioners, and the public. Past themes include 'Embracing uncertainty' (2025), 'Cultivating futures' (2024), 'Navigating the storm' (2023), and 'Envisioning our future' (2022).
• AI Futures Reports Comprehensive foresight reports on artificial intelligence including 'Foresight on AI: Scenarios for an AI-enabled World' (four future scenarios) and 'Foresight on AI: Policy considerations' (20 key insights on AI capabilities, adoption, and usage).
• Geotechnomics Reports Reports exploring the intersection of geopolitics, technology, and economics, covering six areas of change: new players (tech companies), rules (regulation), sources of strength, supply chains, inequality, and state-citizen relationships.
• Social Futures Research Ongoing research examining social phenomena shaping society, including sense-making futures, basic needs, social mobility, living arrangements, labour, care, education, and older adulthood, exploring trust and resilience in society.
• Economic Futures Research Research examining economic change including the future of value, next digital economy, future of work, evolution of value chains, and biodigital convergence, exploring how emerging technologies reshape economic prosperity.
• Governance Futures Research Research on disruptions, global existential risks, and governance challenges, including 'Disruptions on the Horizon 2024' report identifying and assessing 35 disruptions Canada may need to prepare for.
• Video Content / Horizons Talks Video presentations and recordings including Horizons Talks speaker series covering topics such as COVID-19 foresight, the future of work, energy futures, Indigenous futures, Wales' Well-being of Future Generations Act, and various Futures Week session recordings.
• Disruptions on the Horizon 2024 Report identifying and assessing 35 disruptions for which Canada may need to prepare, exploring interconnections between potential events and circumstances affecting society, how people live, work, and connect.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies: Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies is an independent foresight research organization providing scenario analysis, megatrend research, and futures studies to governments and firms. Comparable to Policy Horizons Canada on methodology and foresight product offerings.
• Institute for the Future: Institute for the Future is a US-based nonprofit foresight organization producing forecasts, scenarios, and research on 10-year horizons. It serves a similar foresight function to Policy Horizons Canada but as an independent nonprofit rather than a government agency.

Direct peers

• Government Office for Science (UK) — Foresight Programme: The UK Government Office for Science runs the long-standing Foresight Programme, which produces horizon-scanning and scenario work for the UK government — a near-twin of Policy Horizons Canada's mandate to serve a national government with strategic foresight and policy-relevant futures analysis.
• Committee for the Future (Finland Parliament): Finnish Parliament's Committee for the Future is a long-standing parliamentary body that produces futures-oriented reports and assessments for the Finnish government. It mirrors Policy Horizons' role in embedding future-orientation into national policy and legislative processes.
• Centre for Strategic Futures (Singapore): Singapore's Centre for Strategic Futures sits within the Strategy Group in the Prime Minister's Office and provides foresight and scenario planning for the Singapore government. It is directly comparable to Policy Horizons Canada as a small, centralized government foresight unit serving a national executive.

Others

• RAND Corporation — Foresight & Strategy Group: RAND operates a long-standing strategy and foresight practice producing scenario-based research for government clients. While a much larger US think tank, its foresight methodology and government-client base make it a comparable adjacent organization.
• Atlantic Council — Strategic Foresight Initiative: The Atlantic Council produces foresight-oriented analysis at the intersection of geopolitics, technology, and economics — directly overlapping Policy Horizons Canada's 'geotechnomics' stream and serving as a peer on foresight-driven policy commentary.
• World Economic Forum — Strategic Foresight: The World Economic Forum's Strategic Foresight team (where Policy Horizons' DG previously worked) operates at a global, multistakeholder scale producing foresight reports and scenarios. It is thematically aligned with Policy Horizons Canada and a likely source of methodological spillover.

Broad incumbents

• National Intelligence Council (US) — Global Trends: The US National Intelligence Council produces the Global Trends report series, a high-profile foresight exercise informing US national security and foreign policy. While focused on intelligence rather than domestic policy, it is broadly comparable as a government-affiliated foresight body producing scenario-based futures analysis.
• OECD Strategic Foresight Unit: The OECD's Strategic Foresight Unit supports member governments with foresight, scenario work, and policy guidance on long-term trends. It is a broader incumbent operating internationally but addressing the same use case (government foresight for policy strategy) as Policy Horizons Canada.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/PolicyHorizons
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCm0MTl6DjLDv3hp0u-bcSzg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/policy-horizons-canada
• Instagraminstagram.com/horizonscanada

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Policy Horizons Canada