The Scottish Parliament's think-tank

Beyond the electoral cycle

As the Scottish Parliament's think-tank, Scotland's Futures Forum works with Members of the Scottish Parliament to look beyond the electoral cycle and stimulate debate on the long-term challenges and opportunities that Scotland faces.

We host events, support research and encourage creative reflections on our shared future. Our work is designed to inform and provoke ideas about what we should be doing now to secure a positive future for all of Scotland.

Explore our work by subject

Recent topics

Our work

  • Picture of the Scottish parliament with autumnal tree in foreground
    Futures Forum Autumn 2023 Update
    An update from the Scottish Parliament’s think-tank on its work in autumn 2023. This includes information a public debate in October.
  • Diagram showing life expectancy rates in Glasgow against a train map
    EVENT: A Fair and Sustainable Scotland: How fair is fair?
    This panel discussion in October 2023 will explore how fair Scotland is as a country. Complete equality of outcome is impossible so what does success look like?
  • Extract of Danny Dorling book cover "Shattered Nation" with text: Inequality and geography of a failing state.
    Tackling 21st Century Inequality
    What can be done to tackle the giants of 21st century poverty? This seminar in August 2023 with the David Hume Institute and Professor Danny Dorling explored whether Scotland is providing some answers.
  • Stylised image of piggy bank tipped over onto coins
    Scotland’s poverty problem
    If all political parties in Scotland are committed to tackling poverty, why has more progress not been made? This Festival of Politics debate in August 2023 explored Scotland's poverty problem.
  • Stylised image of piggy bank tipped over onto coins
    It’s the economy, stupid
    Post-pandemic and in a cost-of-living crisis, how can new economic ideas help us shape the future? This Festival of Politics debate in August 2023 explored how our economy could and should work.
  • Stylised photo of highland cow on hillside
    Radical uses for Scotland’s land
    How can Scotland create fair and sustainable communities? This Festival of Politics debate in August 2023 explored the role of and future for our land in Scotland.

Listen to a recent podcast

Artificial Intelligence and Democracy - Richard Leonard MSP and Professor Ewa Luger - Podcasts By The Scottish Parliament

With developments in artificial intelligence (AI) speeding up, what effect will this technology have on our democracy? What do we mean when we talk about artificial intelligence? What are the opportunities and what are the dangers? And how, as citizens and as a democracy, should we react? This Scotland's Futures Forum podcast, recorded in May 2023, explored the potential impact of AI on our lives and the implications we should consider. Featuring expert contributions from Professor Ewa Luger, Professor of Human-Data Interaction at the University of Edinburgh, and Richard Leonard MSP, convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Public Audit Committee. You can find out more on the Scotland's Futures Forum website.

Read our recent blogs

  • Close up of camera screen with app logos
    AI and Education: A free-market future?
    With AI growing in importance throughout our lives, this blog explores a free-market future for education and schools. It accompanies our event report: "AI and Education with the Goodison Group"
  • Cartoon of AI and Skills
    Artificial Intelligence and Skills
    Blog in May 2023 by Robbie Scarff on Artificial Intelligence and Skills: what impact will AI have on what it means to be a worker?

Sign up to our mailing list

If you would like to be kept informed of the work Scotland’s Futures Forum, you can join our mailing list.

We use the mailing to send messages about upcoming events and other work that may be of interest. We send a couple of emails a month at most. We ask only for your name and email address, and we never share your information with anyone else.

If you would like to sign up, please email: ScotlandsFuturesForum@parliament.scot.