The Challenge
For the previous decade, Outsmart has been commissioned by the CTO team at a major defence engineering organisation to conduct horizon scanning, with the aim of educating and catalysing new thinking among engineering teams. Building on this work, the team believed an internal forum could transform individual awareness into collaborative action.
Their ambition was to transform this publication into an experience that would inspire engineers to think beyond the next deadline, connect expertise across the business to imagine new possibilities, and help teams explore how technology signals from outside the organisation could shape future programmes and capabilities. Rather than simply learning, achieving the desired engagement and impact would require the team to test assumptions, debate relevance, and translate signals into practical implications.
The Solution
Outsmart designed and delivered a series of in-person Futorial workshops, combining structured horizon scanning, technology intelligence and facilitated futures thinking.
Rather than presenting emerging technologies as isolated trends, the Futorial immersed participants in plausible future scenarios. Building on recent innovation signals presented by a multidisciplinary team from Outsmart’s expert network, engineers explored how technological changes could result in new operational capabilities.
To make broad technology landscapes easier to navigate, Outsmart developed a structured taxonomy covering areas as diverse as advanced materials, cybersecurity, and autonomous systems. This helped participants compare related developments, identify connections between adjacent fields, and recognise cross-cutting themes such as distributed intelligence that might otherwise have remained hidden.
Technology Highlights
- Hypersonic ramjet propulsion: Outsmart highlighted a ramjet engine that had been successfully ignited at take-off speeds; the workshop explored the implications of hypersonic platforms accelerating from Mach 0 to 6+ using existing ground infrastructure.
- Undersea sensing: Outsmart revealed an electric field-based underwater sensing technique inspired by Amazonian fish that had been deployed on an underwater robot; the workshop explored potential defence applications for apparatus capable of imaging slightly below the seabed and in turbulent water.
- Quantum navigation resilience: Outsmart identified a quantum magnetometer that could boost navigation accuracy by 50x; the workshop explored other emerging satellite-free navigation methods.
"[The futorial] generated more discussion and ideation than I expected. I can see how an extended session could lead to real business value"
— Futorial attendee
The Impact
The engagement transformed horizon scanning from a reactive information source into an active mechanism for strategic discussion. Engineers and technical leaders explored future operating environments, debated implications, and identified credible pathways to develop emerging capabilities such as humanoid robotics and autonomous decision-making.
Feedback highlighted the value of encouraging new conversations and enabling shared problem-solving across different parts of the business. Most importantly, the workshop was seen to encourage entrepreneurial thinking, helping to build capability for future innovation across the organisation.
