Exploring the impact of computer-based technologies for foresight

The present paper focuses on the computer-based technologies supporting Corporate Foresight (CF): how companies use technologies to anticipate future trends and detect weak signals. The research focuses on a multiple case-study in seven companies in four different industries that perform CF with a different degree of expertise. The paper highlights and describes the different technologies that are used, subdividing them in knowledge management technologies, semantic technologies and network technologies. The different technologies have been related to the phases of the process of CF, to the amount of resources needed to implement them and, taking a contingent approach, to the different needs in terms of turbulence of the different industry sectors (in terms of dynamicity and uncertainty). Finally, the research relates the different clusters of technologies to CF performance measures and draws hypothesis on their influence on CF performances.