n the research at hand, we developed a set of projections about the future role of ICT for futures research, which was evaluated by a global panel of distinguished foresight experts. We revealed that ICT will be a driving force in the future development of foresight, both for process efficiency and effectiveness. In particular, ICT will drive developments in foresight via the seven drivers (1) Accessibility, (2) Efficiency, (3) Collaboration, (4) Linkages, (5) Quantitative Data Handling, (6) (ICT-) Progress and (7) Market. However, this development only functions in the boundaries, which we have identified as the qualitative nature of the discipline, the support function of ICT-tool as well as competitive barriers, technological barriers and norm and value barriers. While the drivers ease the tasks of obtaining and working with data, the boundaries mostly apply to the more qualitative tasks of foresight that transfer to action and responsibility. The focus of foresight practitioners should thus shift from the scanning stages of the foresight process to the latter stages of interpretation and decision making. Consequently, qualitative foresight approaches and methods should receive increasing attention in both practices as well as research and method developments. These findings demon- strate that foresight is likely to remain a very people-oriented process. Especially (strategic) decision making will, at most, be supported by ICT tools. However, overall this development should transfer ICT-based foresight tools further in the direction of DSSs. By integrating them into DSSs and with each other further focus is placed on the emerging research stream on FSSs.
As with any research, this study is limited in several dimensions. First, biases in the expert panel cannot be fully accounted for. Analysis showed minimal bias according to the professional background. Geographical bias in evaluation was not accounted for. Preliminary testing shows that there are