STRATEGIC FORESIGHT AT THE GDI
MASTERING THE FUTURE STRATEGICALLY
The future is coming faster than many companies can cope with. We will help you to pinpoint relevant trends at an early stage and to define clear, implementable strategies for your company. Our strategic foresight consulting services provide highly customised recommendations for new growth paths and identify which business areas no longer have a future. You will benefit from our in-depth knowledge gained from decades of GDI trend research as the oldest think-tank in Switzerland and from our leadership expertise to establish change processes as a leader in the company.
OUR SOLUTIONS: CUSTOMISED – RESULTS-LED – FUTURE-MINDED
You receive exactly the level of support that fits your organisation – from SMEs to large corporations. We offer scalable consulting services, a trend mapping model, as well as proven tools and methods.
Consulting services
- In need of a long-term, validated and clearly defined strategy?
- Looking for guidance and focussed analysis of your future-relevant challenges?
- Want to gain a better understanding of how your customers may behave in future?
We provide customised solutions to enable you to overcome any challenges you may face – from easily accessible check-ups to systematic background analyses.
GDI Major Shifts
- Want to establish a data-driven and fact-based foundation for strategic decision-making?
- Interested in really interpreting trends rather than just buzzword concepts?
- Do you lack the resources to research and evaluate the relevant trends?
We provide in-depth insights into trend life cycles and their implications for developments in your industry and for your company.
GDI Innovation Hub
- Do you need expertly produced content on the latest trends, innovations and technologies?
- Would you like to combine your company's trend knowledge on one platform?
- Want to use AI solutions and monitoring tools to identify any challenges and develop appropriate solutions?
We offer you global innovation examples as well as AI and monitoring tools so that you are always one step ahead.
OUR APPROACH: INSIGHT-DRIVEN – PERSONALISED – CUSTOMER-CENTRIC
By combining trend, business and costumer insights, we bridge the gap between scientific findings and real-world application. Your requirements and goals determine the approach pursued. Taking into account the relevant external and internal perspectives, we will create an optimal, customised package for you from our range of solutions.
Trend Insights
We identify the trends and developments relevant to you.
Business Insights
We systematically translate the trends to highlight how they are relevant to your corporate strategy and goals.
Customer Insights
We adopt the consumer perspective to identify their drivers and barriers.
We guide you from understanding complex developments to clear, prioritised action — ensuring that every step is grounded in evidence, connected through logic and fully traceable:
Analyse
Wir analysieren die relevantesten Entwicklungen, die Ihr Umfeld prägen. Basierend auf den GDI Major Shifts identifizieren wir zentrale Muster, Signale und Dynamiken und schaffen so ein gemeinsames Verständnis davon, was sich verändert.
Outlook
Wir übersetzen Entwicklungen in Implikationen für Ihre Organisation. Aufkommende Muster werden in Ihrem spezifischen Kontext interpretiert und zeigen Chancen, Risiken und mögliche Zukunftsszenarien auf, die für Ihr Unternehmen relevant sind.
Priorisierung
Gemeinsam bewerten und priorisieren wir die Implikationen, um klare Handlungsfelder zu definieren. Dies schafft Fokus und hilft, Stakeholder auf das auszurichten, was wirklich strategisch relevant ist und was nicht.
Action
Aus den Handlungsfeldern leiten wir konkrete neue Anforderungen ab und formulieren aus der Zukunftsperspektive robuste strategische Entscheide im Hier und Jetzt.
Analysis
We analyse the most relevant developments shaping your environment. Based on the GDI Major Shifts, we identify key patterns, signals and dynamics creating a shared understanding of what is changing.
Outlook
We translate developments into implications for your organisation. Emerging patterns are interpreted in your specific context, revealing opportunities, risks and possible future scenarios that are relevant to your business.
Prioritization
Together, we assess and prioritise implications to define clear action fields. This creates focus and helps align stakeholders around what is strategically relevant — and what is not.
Action
We guide you from understanding complex developments to clear, prioritised action — ensuring that every step is grounded in evidence, connected through logic and fully traceable.
SELECTION OF OUR CUSTOMERS
In an analytically insightful yet pragmatic workshop, the GDI supported us in evaluating new areas of future growth for the Rivella Group based on relevant major developments. The GDI's holistic trend framework, calm and collected presentation and invaluable input ensured a highly successful workshop.
The project with the GDI was a creative experiment with a clear goal – identifying megatrends for Swiss foreign trade. The outcome was a prototype highlighting how AI can bridge the gap between two centres of excellence – S-GE, with its close links to the export industry, and the GDI with its expertise in futurology. Visually appealing, smartly designed and surprisingly practical.
The collaboration with the GDI was an incredibly enriching experience. They understood our needs perfectly and delivered specially tailored solutions. The GDI provided us with data as well as strategic insights carefully aligned with our needs. The transfer work into the future was incredibly valuable, too. Their vast experience and tremendous expertise was clear for all to see here.
The GDI team combines strong analytical expertise with a pracitcal approach. In our pilot project to establish a systematic trend management framework, GDI not only contributed relevant future insights—grounded on the GDI Major Shifts—but also effectively sparked strategic dialogue within our organization. The jointly developed implications are well-founded and offer concrete, actionable guidance for advancing our strategic orientation.
The collaboration with the GDI ticked all the right boxes – open, constructive and based on partnership. We really appreciated the tremendous flexibility with which our queries and requests for further information were dealt with. The market study provided us with a sound, well-structured basis for developing the area of sustainable, well-balanced nutrition in relation to our corporate strategy.
Vorherig
Nächste
ABOUT US
Future knowledge ensures long-term success.
Susan Shaw heads the Strategic Foresight business unit and has many years of experience in consumer behaviour and how people interact with brands, products and services. Camille Zimmermann is Senior Expert Strategic Foresight and possesses extensive experience in the areas of trend management, innovation and digital transformation.
The Strategic Foresight team works closely with the Research and Leadership units and benefits from the GDI's broad network.
Susan Shaw, Head of Strategic Foresight
susan.shaw@gdi.ch
+41 44 724 62 10
Camille Zimmermann, Senior Expert Strategic Foresight
FURTHER TOPICS
GDI Major Shifts
The "GDI Major Shifts" model will help you to understand global developments of great significance. You will obtain data-based analysis of current developments and interpretations for plausible future scenarios.
Consulting Services
Are you looking for an external perspective on specific issues or in need of an experienced partner for a systematic foresight process? We provide support fully aligned with your needs.
GDI Innovation Hub
Gain a competitive edge with global innovation models, AI and monitoring tools as well as the retail and food trend radars expertly curated by the GDI and join an innovative community!