"Trust at Risk? Foresight on the Medium-Term Implications for European Research and Innovation Policies" (TRUSTFORESIGHT - Expert Contract)

A range of foresight studies identify key "drivers of change" that are relevant for Horizon 2020 when developing future priorities. These drivers of change are natural or human-induced factors that shape the future. Among these, an important driver is trust. Both hard facts and "analytical narratives" appear to support the idea that confidence of Europeans in "big business" is substantially eroding, while voters simultaneously tend to mistrust policymakers to produce and enforce better regulation. Lack of transparency and (biased) information from numerous sources seem to contribute to mutual distrust of political and private actors. This increases the risk of half-hearted reforms and a further erosion of institutional trust.