Incentives in technology foresight

Technology foresight typically engages the stakeholders in an open and constructive discussion about S&T driven opportunities. This, in turn, requires that the stakeholders are motivated and recognize the benefits that the foresight exercise offers to them. In this paper, we consider the role of incentives as determinants of motivation and, specifically, we argue that explicit recognition of incentives may contribute to the design of a foresight process that fosters active participation and collaboration. The arguments are illustrated in the light of a recent sectoral foresight study for the Finnish Food and Drink Industries' Federation.