Horizons

What does your future market look like? How could your business model adapt? Horizons is a practical tool designed to help you identify the big trends, issues, risks and opportunities coming your way. Use it to develop and test your strategy, inform commercial decisions, and drive new innovation.

We can’t predict our future economy. But we do know the trends driving its development – like the digital revolution, levels of pollution, public trust, and energy security. These factors shape markets, disrupt business models and shift the political landscape. They may present risks for your organisation, but also reveal global market opportunities for entirely new solutions.

To create successful businesses and societies in the long term, we need to think sustainably. Horizons has been developed to help you do just that. Horizons is based on the Sustainable Economy Framework, which was developed by Forum for the Future, Innovate UK and Aviva Investors. Horizons defines what we mean by a sustainable economy – one that operates within safe environmental limits and delivers social value.

Horizons identifies the environmental boundaries that keep our planet in good health, the social and political foundations that enable our societies to flourish, and the essential needs for us human beings to survive and thrive. Each of these is broken down into a number of topics. Together, they work towards delivering a sustainable future.

Our Sustainability and Circular Economy team can offer sector-specific advice.

You may find our Innovation Canvas useful when developing new business ideas.

For support in finding project partners and providing independent, objective feedback on your application, or to discuss the big issues in your sector, talk to Innovate UK KTN.