Strategic Foresight Innovation: A Co-Design Framework for Resilient Technology Development

Abstract Designing technologies for high-stakes environments (such as emergency response, healthcare, and defense) requires more than technical excellence. It demands close collaboration between end users and developers, and design processes that can keep pace with uncertainty, complexity, and rapid change. While co-design methods offer a valuable way to bridge user needs and technical development, traditional approaches often fall short in addressing the unpredictability and pressures of these settings. This presentation explores how integrating foresight into co-design processes can better prepare technologies for future challenges. Building on insights from the CARMA project, which developed robotic solutions for emergency responders, we present a structured co-design framework that incorporates scenario-based thinking to improve adaptability and long-term relevance. The approach includes tailored workshops that bring together users and developers to explore future contexts, anticipate emerging needs, and collaboratively shape technology pathways. A pilot test of the framework (conducted with emergency response teams) demonstrates how foresight methods can strengthen collaboration, surface hidden assumptions, and enhance design resilience. While initially applied in emergency robotics, the principles and framework are transferable to health policy innovation, supporting the design of interventions and systems that must evolve alongside shifting societal, technological, and environmental conditions. This work contributes a scalable, future-ready co-design approach that aligns with strategic foresight principles, offering practical tools for anticipating emerging challenges and building resilience into technology and policy development. This work was supported by national funds through Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) with reference UIDB/50021/2020 - DOI: 10.54499/UIDB/50021/2020 and the Horizon Europe Project CARMA (Agreement nº 101168355)