Year: 2026
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: The Three Horizons method has grown rapidly in use and visibility since it was first employed publicly in a United Kingdom (UK) government foresight project in 2005. It is a systems approach initially developed by Anthony Hodgson that enables people to visualise change. It has some conceptual richness involving patterns of change and the way in which time is perceived. Three Horizons proposes a transition from a current Horizon 1 to a potential Horizon 3, through a turbulent Horizon 2. Three Horizons has emerged in the futures field alongside other methods that in both theory and practice placed greater emphasis on agency. Reviewing the development of the method, the publication of Bill Sharpe’s book, Three Horizons: The Patterning of Hope , oriented Three Horizons towards preferred futures and visioning, and included methodological development around the understanding of different types of innovation, the relationship between actors in different horizons, and an ecological framing of Horizon 3. Three Horizons can be connected with a range of different methods in the futures and systems fields, and beyond, to deepen understanding of how change can happen. There is scope for further research to broaden both theoretical and practical knowledge of this.
Source: Springer eBooks
Institution: Patagonian Ecosystems Investigation Research Center
Language: English
Subfield: Management of Technology and Innovation
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7223182103