Futures Forum study launched

2 december 2015

On Thursday November 26 the CfPB and Hospitality Group organized the kickoff meeting of the  Futures Forum. Some 40 representatives of the participating organizations attended the meeting and actively participated in the discussions.

The Futures Forum research will map relevant future changes of work and working environment. What changes are coming and how will organizations deal with them? The results of the  study will be translated into a policy agenda to support services provided by HR, IT, RE and FM.

A glimpse into the future

Firstly guest speaker  Prof. Dr. Ad van Wijk, professor of Future Energy Systems at TU Delft, gave those present a glimpse into the future: how different innovative technological advances will contribute to a more sustainable energy use. Van Wijk described several projects he is currently working on at The Green Village:

• Smart integrated LED lighting in the environment. Which allows for an even better energy utilization.
• Substantial reduction of AC / DC (alternating current - direct current) loss.
• Using cars as a power stations. Hydrogen cars that generate substantially more energy than all existing power plants put together.

The technological possibilities to realize a more sustainable society are very promising. However, to reach the full potential, a number of paradigm shifts will be required. Technology, systems, revenue models and legislation will first have to be adjusted.

A quest for refinement

Next, Wilfred Verkaaik, Head of Building Management of SNS Bank, talked about his enthusiasm for the Futures Forum study. He first encountered the study as the initiative of Zurich Insurance and was immediately enthusiastic when he learned of a similar study starting in the Netherlands. ‘Within SNS Bank, we have been working for some time according to the principles of NwoW’. According to Verkaaik, ‘you just do it. It’s a no brainer’. But the quest for refinement and better methods does not stop with the introduction of NWoW. One needs to be aware of what developments are out there and how the organization can formulate an appropriate response? How come that, by far, the most people sitting attending this meeting are FM? HR should take the lead in developing a vision at work!' (Adea van Doorn, Netherlands Probation)

Participants were then asked about their expectations of the upcoming study, they brainstormed in small groups around statements like: ‘In 2025 ... Google, your boss and the government know all about you. Real privacy no longer exists.’ The statements that were presented were based on  themes that would be addressed in the research.

Study Design

The design and setup of the study were presented by Fien Thoolen, a member of the research team. The extensive and broad focused research program consists of a literature review, group interviews with end users within the participating organizations, expert panels and a pre-design workshop.
After the presentations, sponsorship agreements with the different supporting partners were signed.

Participating organizations

ABN AMRO Bank, Tax Administration, Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, FloraHolland, ING Bank, Land Registry, Dutch Probation, Public Real Estate Company, SNS Bank, Social Insurance, SSC ICT Haaglanden, UWV (Dutch unemployment administration).