InNoWest TransferTalk: Presentation of the Regional Future Navigator

Our guest, Dr Gerhard Schönhofer from Ingolstadt University of Technology and the Bavarian Foresight Institute, presented the background, design and potential applications of the Future Navigator. The realisation that large companies have strategic foresight services, whilst small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) lack the resources for this, provided the impetus to offer a solution to this need in the form of the Future Navigator. The entire project was developed as part of the teaching programme in collaboration with students and partners. The Future Navigator was launched in 2025 and is now a publicly accessible tool: Future Navigator – Identifying Trends & Shaping the Future

During the TransferTalk, Dr Gerhart Schönhofer presented this interactive tool in detail. It includes a trend navigator with a chatbot, a toolbox for scenario planning and a Business Model Canvas for planning future measures. Unregistered users can access a database of current trends. Free registration enables users to create personalised trend maps and use the Foresight Toolbox. During the TransferTalk, we tested the trend identification feature and took a look at the scenario-building tool as an example. There are plans to test the tool as part of the InNoWest project.  

About the format: InNoWest TransferTalk:
The TransferTalk offers a platform for engaging in dialogue with experts from various disciplines and exploring inter- and transdisciplinary issues. The aim is to bring valuable external knowledge into higher education institutions whilst, at the same time, highlighting and further developing the expertise of these institutions in their collaboration with external partners. At each event, a speaker presents their work in a brief introduction. This is followed by time for discussion and exchange.