{"id":83427,"date":"2026-11-01T10:20:40","date_gmt":"2026-11-01T08:20:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/?p=83427"},"modified":"2026-11-01T10:20:40","modified_gmt":"2026-11-01T08:20:40","slug":"what-does-a-futurist-or-trend-watcher-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/what-does-a-futurist-or-trend-watcher-do\/","title":{"rendered":"What does a futurist or trend watcher do, and when should you bring one in?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover is-light has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1\" style=\"margin-bottom:30px\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background-dim-20 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-2c90304e wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In short<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A futurist or trend watcher helps an organisation think ahead by collecting signals, interpreting trends and building scenarios. Prediction is not the goal. According to the European Commission, foresight means exploring different possible futures, and its Joint Research Centre tracks 14 global megatrends for this. You bring one in for strategy, innovation or to make an audience&nbsp;look&nbsp;ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Planning a new strategy, or looking for someone to help your conference or leadership team look further ahead? Then you first want to know what such a person actually does and what you gain from it. Below you will read what the titles mean, what the work looks like and which questions to ask before you&nbsp;hire&nbsp;someone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\" style=\"margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important\">\n<li>UNESCO speaks of futures literacy: helping people and institutions use the future to make better decisions in&nbsp;the&nbsp;present.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>Each EU member state designates a &#8216;Minister for the Future&#8217; who meets the others at least once&nbsp;a&nbsp;year.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>The Dutch WLO 2025 outlook works with four scenarios for the Netherlands in 2040, 2050&nbsp;and&nbsp;2060.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>The European Commission has published Strategic Foresight Reports&nbsp;since&nbsp;2020.<\/li>\n\n\n<li>In practice the titles overlap, but a trend watcher usually looks a few years ahead, a futurist often ten to fifteen years&nbsp;or&nbsp;more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"rvh-lezing rvh-lezing-boven\" style=\"margin:0 0 30px;padding:18px 20px 8px;border-left:4px solid #00b4ee;background:#f4f8fb\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 4px;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.06em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#7a8799\">Keynote by Richard<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 14px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.55;color:#2b3445\"><strong>Trends 2040.<\/strong> The world of 2040: AI and agents, humanoid robots, quantum computing and biotech, and how to prepare for it now.<\/p><p style=\"margin:0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/keynote-trends-2040?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=artikel&amp;utm_campaign=what-does-a-futurist-or-trend-watcher-do&amp;utm_content=boven-lezing\" style=\"display:inline-block;font-family:Poppins,sans-serif;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;line-height:1.3;padding:12px 18px;border-radius:6px;text-decoration:none;margin:0 10px 10px 0;background:#00b4ee;color:#fff\">View the keynote&nbsp;\u2192<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=artikel&amp;utm_campaign=what-does-a-futurist-or-trend-watcher-do&amp;utm_content=boven-alle#lezingen\" style=\"font-size:14px;color:#2566C4;font-weight:600;text-decoration:none;white-space:nowrap;display:inline-block;margin:0 0 10px\">All keynotes<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Futurist or trend watcher?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:italic;font-weight:700\">The titles overlap, but differ in how far ahead you look and how you back up what&nbsp;you&nbsp;say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In practice the titles overlap, and the lines between them are not sharp. Still, each puts the emphasis somewhere else, and the difference lies less in the label than in two questions: how far ahead do you look, and how do you back up what&nbsp;you&nbsp;say?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\" style=\"margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:30px!important\">\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\"><strong>Trend watcher.<\/strong><br>Looks mainly at what is changing now: new technology, new business models and new behaviour. Trendwatching often covers the next few years and what those changes mean for organisations, markets&nbsp;and&nbsp;society.<\/li>\n\n\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\"><strong>Futurist.<\/strong><br>Looks further ahead and shows what the world could look like in ten to fifteen years or more. A futurist connects the early developments of today with that future and extends the lines, across technology, the economy, climate and population. In some languages you will also hear the older&nbsp;word&nbsp;futurologist.<\/li>\n\n\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\"><strong>Foresight researcher.<\/strong><br>Usually works at a university, a government or a public research body. The field is known as <em>futures studies<\/em> or <em>strategic foresight<\/em>, and the work often follows scientific methods. The University of Turku, for example, has its own research centre for it, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.utu.fi\/en\/university\/turku-school-of-economics\/finland-futures-research-centre\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Finland Futures&nbsp;Research&nbsp;Centre<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In my keynotes I mainly want to positively influence people&#8217;s mindset: to make them open to big changes, and then to act on them. What stays with them is enthusiasm for change, but also a critical eye, so they can make&nbsp;better&nbsp;decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Exploring, not predicting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:italic;font-weight:700\">A futurist does not predict, but sketches several&nbsp;possible&nbsp;futures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A good futurist will not claim to know the future. The <a href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/strategy-and-policy\/strategic-planning\/strategic-foresight_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">European Commission<\/a> puts it this way: foresight &#8220;is not about predicting or forecasting the future. It is the discipline of exploring different possible futures&#8221;, including the challenges and opportunities they may bring. The aim is to help shape a preferable future. The Commission uses the image of a futures cone with four classes of futures: possible, plausible, probable and preferable. A futurist shows how wide that cone is, and helps you decide which future you want to work towards. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.profuturists.org\/faq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Association of Professional Futurists<\/a>, a global community of professional futurists, says the same: a futurist &#8220;is more likely to say how or why a future could appear rather than to say what the future&nbsp;will&nbsp;be.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How does a futurist work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:italic;font-weight:700\">The work has four steps: collecting signals, interpreting trends, building scenarios&nbsp;and&nbsp;stress-testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roughly, the work has four steps. The European Commission describes the same methods for its own&nbsp;policy&nbsp;work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Collecting signals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It all starts with looking. What is happening in start-ups, labs, legislation and customer behaviour that is still small but could become big? The Commission calls this <em>horizon scanning<\/em>: detecting emerging &#8220;game changers&#8221; at an early stage and weighing the early signals. How to recognise such small shifts is the subject of <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/microtrends-can-decide-who-wins-or-loses-in-business\/\">Microtrends can decide who wins or loses&nbsp;in&nbsp;business<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Interpreting trends<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A single signal says little. Only when signals point in one direction do you speak of a trend. Above trends sit megatrends: long-term driving forces that are observable now and will most likely have a global impact. That is how the Joint Research Centre&#8217;s Competence Centre on Foresight defines them in its <a href=\"https:\/\/knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu\/foresight\/tool\/megatrends-hub_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Megatrends Hub<\/a>. It tracks 14 of them, including accelerating technological change, the changing nature of work and climate change. The megatrends we see for business are in <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/beyond-ai-five-mega-trends-that-will-reshape-business-in-the-next-decade\/\">Beyond AI: five mega trends that will reshape business in the&nbsp;next&nbsp;decade<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Building scenarios<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because the future is uncertain, you work with several stories side by side. A Dutch example is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wlo2025.nl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WLO 2025 outlook<\/a> by PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. Its researchers built four scenarios for the Netherlands in 2040, 2050 and 2060, along two axes: high or lower economic growth, and a fast or delayed climate transition. None of the four is a forecast; together they show what policy needs&nbsp;to&nbsp;withstand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Stress-testing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The last step matters most: what does this mean for your plans? The Commission uses scenarios to &#8220;stress-test&#8221; policy options: does a plan still work if the world turns out differently than expected? A company can run its strategy, product portfolio or investments past a few scenarios in the&nbsp;same&nbsp;way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin-bottom:30px!important\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/richardvanhooijdonk.com\/assets\/fotos\/richard-002.08b3855986.webp\" alt=\"Richard van Hooijdonk on a large stage during a keynote\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does a futurist add?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:italic;font-weight:700\">There are three broad reasons to bring someone in: strategy, innovation and inspiration for&nbsp;an&nbsp;audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It depends on&nbsp;your&nbsp;question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\" style=\"margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:30px!important\">\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\"><strong>Strategy.<\/strong><br>You want to know which developments will affect your market over the next ten years, and whether your plans can withstand them. A trend analysis and a scenario session with the leadership team&nbsp;fit&nbsp;here.<\/li>\n\n\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\"><strong>Innovation.<\/strong><br>You are looking for new products or services. A trend watcher helps you see opportunities that are still small, and test ideas against where customers&nbsp;are&nbsp;heading.<\/li>\n\n\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\"><strong>Inspiration for an audience.<\/strong><br>At a conference or kick-off you want people to look at things differently. A keynote about the future shows what is coming their way and starts&nbsp;a&nbsp;conversation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Governments take this seriously. The European Commission has published Strategic Foresight Reports since 2020, and each EU member state designates a &#8220;Minister for the Future&#8221; who meets the others at least once a year. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unesco.org\/en\/futures-literacy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UNESCO<\/a> speaks of <em>futures literacy<\/em>: helping people and institutions use the future to navigate uncertainty and make better decisions in the present. That is a capability an organisation can build, even without a futurist on&nbsp;the&nbsp;payroll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When do you hire a futurist?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:italic;font-weight:700\">A futurist fits moments such as a new strategy, a fast-changing market or&nbsp;a&nbsp;kick-off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-bottom:6px\">A few moments&nbsp;stand&nbsp;out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\" style=\"margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:30px!important\">\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\">you are starting a new strategy or a&nbsp;multi-year&nbsp;plan;<\/li>\n\n\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\">your market is changing fast, for example because of AI, new regulation or&nbsp;new&nbsp;competitors;<\/li>\n\n\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\">your team is stuck in the current year and needs a fresh view&nbsp;from&nbsp;outside;<\/li>\n\n\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\">you are organising a conference, anniversary or kick-off where people need to&nbsp;be&nbsp;challenged.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A futurist does not replace your own research. See them as someone who widens the view and asks the right questions; the follow-up work is yours. When the subject is AI, that work often starts with your own processes: which tasks can AI take on, and which belong with people? For the AI trends a futurist is watching today, read <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/the-six-biggest-ai-leadership-trends-for-2026\/\">The six biggest AI leadership trends&nbsp;for&nbsp;2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to choose a trend watcher?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:italic;font-weight:700\">Five questions up front show whether someone fits your goal and&nbsp;your&nbsp;audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-bottom:6px\">Do not choose on name or follower count, but on what you want to do differently afterwards. Ask these questions&nbsp;up&nbsp;front:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" style=\"margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:30px!important\">\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\"><strong>What is the goal?<\/strong><br>Inspiring a large audience calls for something different than a working session with ten&nbsp;board&nbsp;members.<\/li>\n\n\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\"><strong>How far ahead should it look?<\/strong><br>Two years (trendwatching) or ten to twenty years (futures work&nbsp;and&nbsp;scenarios)?<\/li>\n\n\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\"><strong>How does the speaker back up the story?<\/strong><br>Ask about sources, examples and how current the&nbsp;material&nbsp;is.<\/li>\n\n\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\"><strong>Do they know your sector?<\/strong><br>General trends are interesting, but examples from your own market are what&nbsp;people&nbsp;remember.<\/li>\n\n\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\"><strong>What is left afterwards?<\/strong><br>A presentation, a trend report, a&nbsp;follow-up&nbsp;session?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you want to build some of this capability yourself, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/trendwatching-tools-resources-for-identifying-emerging-trends\/\">Trendwatching tools: resources for identifying emerging trends<\/a> is a practical starting point. For a look at how trend watchers looked ahead long before the term existed, read <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/trendwatcher-in-the-spotlight-sci-fi-visionary-h-g-wells\/\">Trendwatcher in the spotlight: sci-fi visionary H.G. Wells<\/a>. More about Richard van Hooijdonk&#8217;s background and approach is&nbsp;on <a href=\"https:\/\/richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/about-richard?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=artikel&amp;utm_campaign=what-does-a-futurist-or-trend-watcher-do\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">about&nbsp;Richard<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"rvh-lezing rvh-lezing-onder\" style=\"margin:0 0 30px;padding:22px 20px 12px;background:#f4f8fb;border-radius:8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 6px;font-size:20px;font-weight:700;line-height:1.3;color:#2b3445\">Richard speaks on this topic<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.55;color:#2b3445\"><strong>Trends 2040.<\/strong> The world of 2040: AI and agents, humanoid robots, quantum computing and biotech, and how to prepare for it now.<\/p><p style=\"margin:0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/keynote-trends-2040?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=artikel&amp;utm_campaign=what-does-a-futurist-or-trend-watcher-do&amp;utm_content=onder-lezing\" style=\"display:inline-block;font-family:Poppins,sans-serif;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;line-height:1.3;padding:12px 18px;border-radius:6px;text-decoration:none;margin:0 10px 10px 0;background:#00b4ee;color:#fff;border:2px solid #00b4ee\">View the keynote&nbsp;\u2192<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=artikel&amp;utm_campaign=what-does-a-futurist-or-trend-watcher-do&amp;utm_content=onder-home\" style=\"display:inline-block;font-family:Poppins,sans-serif;font-weight:600;font-size:14px;line-height:1.3;padding:12px 18px;border-radius:6px;text-decoration:none;margin:0 10px 10px 0;background:#fff;color:#0089b8;border:2px solid #00b4ee\">Meet Richard<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:2px 0 8px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=artikel&amp;utm_campaign=what-does-a-futurist-or-trend-watcher-do&amp;utm_content=onder-alle#lezingen\" style=\"font-size:14px;color:#2566C4;font-weight:600;text-decoration:none;white-space:nowrap;margin-right:18px\">All keynotes<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/keynote-trends-2040?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=artikel&amp;utm_campaign=what-does-a-futurist-or-trend-watcher-do&amp;utm_content=onder-aanvraag#aanvragen\" style=\"font-size:14px;color:#2566C4;font-weight:600;text-decoration:none;white-space:nowrap\">Check availability<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details rvh-faq is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #d9dee5;padding:12px 0;margin:0\"><summary style=\"cursor:pointer;font-weight:700\">Is a futurologist a futurist?<\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin:8px 0 4px\">In practice, yes. Both look further ahead than a trend watcher&nbsp;usually&nbsp;does.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details rvh-faq is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #d9dee5;padding:12px 0;margin:0\"><summary style=\"cursor:pointer;font-weight:700\">Can a futurist predict the future?<\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin:8px 0 4px\">No. According to the European Commission, foresight is precisely not about predicting, but about exploring several possible futures. A futurist helps you prepare for&nbsp;different&nbsp;outcomes.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details rvh-faq is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #d9dee5;padding:12px 0;margin:0\"><summary style=\"cursor:pointer;font-weight:700\">What is strategic foresight?<\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin:8px 0 4px\">Strategic foresight is the structured version of the same work, used by governments and companies: horizon scanning, megatrend analysis and scenarios, applied to real decisions. The European Commission uses it to stress-test its policy against&nbsp;different&nbsp;futures.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details rvh-faq is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #d9dee5;padding:12px 0;margin:0\"><summary style=\"cursor:pointer;font-weight:700\">How do you spot a good trend watcher?<\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin:8px 0 4px\">Look at how they back things up: which sources they use, how current their examples are, and whether they discuss several possible outcomes instead of one&nbsp;confident&nbsp;prediction.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details rvh-faq is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-bottom:1px solid #d9dee5;padding:12px 0;margin:0\"><summary style=\"cursor:pointer;font-weight:700\">Can you do trendwatching yourself?<\/summary>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin:8px 0 4px\">Yes. Start by following a fixed set of sources, collecting signals and discussing them with your team every quarter. UNESCO calls this capability <em>futures literacy<\/em>: learning to use the future to make&nbsp;better&nbsp;decisions.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"rvh-bio\" style=\"display:flex;gap:14px;align-items:center;margin:28px 0 8px;padding-top:16px;border-top:1px solid #e3e6ea\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/RichardVanHooijdonk_3787-1-300x197.webp \"  type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/RichardVanHooijdonk_3787-1-300x197.jpg\" alt=\"Richard van Hooijdonk\" width=\"76\" height=\"76\" class=\"skip-lazy sp-no-webp\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" style=\"width:76px!important;min-width:76px!important;max-width:76px!important;height:76px!important;border-radius:50%;object-fit:cover;flex:none\"><\/picture><p style=\"margin:0;font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;color:#6b7686\"><a href=\"https:\/\/richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/about-richard?utm_source=blog&#038;utm_medium=bio&#038;utm_campaign=what-does-a-futurist-or-trend-watcher-do\" style=\"color:#2b3445;font-weight:600;text-decoration:none\">Richard van Hooijdonk<\/a> is a trend watcher, futurist and international keynote speaker. Many trend watchers and futurists look at the future from a distance. Richard van Hooijdonk lives in it. His team consists of people and AI agents, and he has several chips implanted in his body. He has given more than 3,000 keynotes in more than 30 countries. <a href=\"https:\/\/richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/?utm_source=blog&#038;utm_medium=bio-keynotes&#038;utm_campaign=what-does-a-futurist-or-trend-watcher-do#lezingen\" style=\"color:#2566C4;font-weight:600;text-decoration:none;white-space:nowrap\">View his keynotes&nbsp;\u2192<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What does a futurist or trend watcher actually do? Signals, trends and scenarios explained, what strategic foresight brings and how to pick the right one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":83428,"parent":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2870],"tags":[],"article-type":[],"trends":[],"class_list":["post-83427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83427","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=83427"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83427\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83506,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83427\/revisions\/83506"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/83428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83427"},{"taxonomy":"article-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article-type?post=83427"},{"taxonomy":"trends","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richardvanhooijdonk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/trends?post=83427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}