For Thought 2021

Building resilience

The role of science and innovation in creating a sustainable future

The 2021 For Thought theme focused on the ability of societies and systems to withstand shocks – or build resilience. Throughout the year, a range of online events took place and topics discussed included:

  • Building resilience into human-made systems and infrastructures
  • Innovating for the future and forward planning for solutions to future problems
  • Creating environmental prosperity in the face of the climate crisis

Ideas and insights from the roundtables and panel discussions were then distilled into a report, ‘Build better’.

Download ‘Build better’ | Download the full programme
Download the full list of participants | Watch all the highlights on YouTube

In November 2021, we hosted a roundtable with cross-sector experts in risk and risk know-how, chaired by Lynne Berry CBE. A report, supported by Lloyd’s Register Foundation, summarises the insights from this event.

Download ‘Developing a new relationship with risk’

Videos

“Build better”, rather than “build back better”

At For Thought 2021, our speakers agreed that many of our systems pre-pandemic were not working for society as a whole. Here, they share their opinions and insights on why the “new” in “new normal” is so important in future-proofing.

Speakers: Professor Sir David Omand, Muhammad Yunus, Emily Shuckburgh and Samah Khalil.

Innovative innovation

The 2021 speahers also expressed the need to rethink innovation. Global collaboration in the life sciences led to incredible success in the vaccine development field. Can we apply these lessons to other sectors?

Speakers: Amanda Solloway MP, Lopa Patel, Ben Osborn, Muhammad Yunus, Sir David King and Aliza Ayaz.

Adopt a “whole-systems” approach

Another point to stress from 2021 was the need for “whole-systems” thinking. We can fix parts of a broken system but without the big picture, we won’t succeed in solving fundamental problems.

Speakers: Lord David Willetts, Emily Shuckburgh and Afsheen Kabir-Rashid.

For Thought summit 2021: Build better

The key recommendations from the Build better report formed the basis of the discussion at the final summit event:

  • Put future generations at the heart of our institutional and systems decision-making
  • Share benefits of research and innovation across different communities
  • Create a long-term leadership coalition to deliver the UK’s Net Zero ambition

Our speakers:
Kumsal Bayazit, Chief Executive Officer, Elsevier
Arunma Oteh, Former Treasurer and Vice President, World Bank
Sheila Rowan, former Chief Scientific Advisor for Scotland
Steve Varley, Global Vice Chair for Sustainability, EY
Lord David Willetts, Chair of For Thought