Detect Emerging Scientific Breakthroughs
Identify the frontier advances in science and tech that will fundamentally redefine markets, policy, and global strategy
Leading in a
Science-Accelerated World
Anticipatory Leadership Lab
A 2-hour, invite‑only workshop exploring
early signals in AI, quantum, health, nature-tech
grounded in principles of anticipatory leadership
ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP
Use the future to build the present
Science and technology advances outpace governments and organizations every day. Yet institutions,
governance frameworks and leadership mindsets remain largely
reactive, designed for a world where change was linear, slower and more predictable.
This session will equip leaders to move from reaction, to disruption, to shaping futures deliberately, by developing the capacity to anticipate scientific
and technological trajectories early, understand their systemic implications, and act collectively to
maximise benefits while mitigating risks.
Why join the workshop?
Future-Proof Your Strategy
Stress-test your current decision-making models against the next 5, 10 and 25 years horizon of exponential change
Lead with Adaptive Governance
Develop a rigorous framework of principles to navigate organizations through radical uncertainty
Who is leading the workshop
Meet the speakers
Michael Hengartner
President ·
ETH Board
Thomas Roulet
Professor of Leadership ·
University of Cambridge
Bettina Schaller
Head Group Public Affairs ·
The Adecco Group
Andrew McLaughlin
COO ·
Sandbox AQ
Jennifer Baarn
Head of Partnerships ·
AGRA
Chris Ferguson
Chief Partnerships Officer ·
Apolitical
Venkatesen Mauree
Head of the Strategic Tech and Academia Initiative ·
ITU
Marilyne Andersen
Director General ·
GESDA
Marga Gual Soler (moderator)
Executive Director ·
Capacity and Leadership ·
GESDA
Livestream
Watch us live
WHY THIS WORKSHOP MATTERS FOR LEADERS
Stress-test what you are learning today
against what tomorrow will bring
The workshop is based on GESDA’s worldwide experience in leading anticipatory leadership training for top government, academic and business leaders.
You will experience GESDA methodology and practical tools to move from scientific foresight into strategic action through:
- Expert-led breakouts with sector-specific intelligence
- Open discussion on practical insights of anticipatory intelligence integration
- Joining GESDA's Anticipatory Leadership training coalition of leading business schools, corporates, and international organisations
We will convene around 50 senior executives, private sector, government and IGO representatives, and academic leaders to examine how leadership must evolve in our era of science and technology acceleration, dramatic geopolitical reconfigurations, and unprecedented pressures on the multilateral system.
The intelligence behind the workshop
GESDA Science Breakthrough Radar®
The workshop will explore how GESDA’s anticipatory insight on upcoming scientific and
technological breakthroughs can support corporations, governments and international organizations
seize
opportunities and mitigate risks.
Science-informed insights
The GESDA Science Breakthrough Radar® provides an overview of science trends and breakthrough predictions at 5, 10 and 25 years in 42 science and technology emerging topics, a synthesis of the related fundamental debates and actions in society, and an exploration of opportunities for concerted action through initial contributions on the implications for international affairs, global challenges, and the SDGs.
The Radar helps leaders to:
- detect emerging scientific breakthroughs
- interpret strategic significance, before they translate into geopolitical shocks
- align national, corporate and philanthropic agendas with credible frontier-science outlooks.
The Radar has already supported key multilateral processes in International Geneva, from
a neurotechnology
resolution at the Human Rights Council, to the biosecurity implications of synthetic biology, or the
applications of quantum algorithms to support the SDGs through the Open Quantum Institute, hosted at
CERN.
In a context where strategic competition increasingly unfolds through technological capabilities,
standards-setting and innovation ecosystems, science anticipation becomes a core leadership skill.
What's next?
Session details and registration
- Session title
- Leading in a Science-Accelerated World
- Venue
- World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026, Davos
- Date
- Wednesday, 21 January 2026
- Time
- 10:00 AM -12:00 PM (120 min)
- Location
- Hotel National – InTent
- Format
- Workshop-style session, featuring anticipatory foresight exercise
- Host
- InTent & Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA)