Dr. Prof. Derek Woodgate

Derek Woodgate is a consulting futurist, educator, author, speaker and curator. He is the President and Chief Futurist of The Futures Lab, Inc., a foresight consultancy, he founded in 1996, which specializes in creating future potential for major corporations and institutions.

In addition, Derek is an Associate Professor and Advisor to the VP Academic Affairs at the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia and also in the ICT Department of the Engineering and Science Faculty at the University of Adger in Norway, as well as and a Visiting Professor at the University of Houston College of Technology Foresight Program. In all cases, he teaches Grad in Applied Foresight. He is also on the Executive Board of the Center for Futures Studies at the University of Dubai. Derek is also Head of the World Futures Studies Federation UNESCO Committee and Chair of the WFSF World Conference. Derek is a resident of USA, UAE and Croatia. Derek considers Rijeka, Croatia to be his primary residence. Derek has a BA in Eastern European Studies and a MA in Political Economics and a Dr. Philos. in Engineering and Science from the University of Adger, Norway.

His book, Future Frequencies (2004) was considered paradigm shifting in the foresight field, and his online published works from Future Flow (2012) give a fresh look at how experiential manifestations can be designed to facilitate new approaches to exploration, innovation, and learning. Presently, his academic papers are concerned primarily with emerging technologies, immersive spatial narratives and increasing human creativity. He is particularly active in the field of smart cities, security, and the human-machine integration into urban development and working environments and its impact on societal transformation. He is currently writing a new book titled Future Rhythms

Since its inception in 1996, his brainchild, The Future Lab, Inc, has consulted for over 150  corporate clients including Microsoft, Ford, Intel, Philips, Fiat, Volksvagen, Shell, MTV, BBC, Intercontinental Hotels, Nokia, Showtime, Ideo, GSK, Clear Channel, Dulux, Henkel, Hugo Boss.

He has also worked on numerous tansdisciplinary development projects at the government, regional and local level, as well as with the world’s leading corprations. He was previously advisor to the US Government on the future of transportation and infastructure 2050, the UAE Ministry of the Interior on Security, policing traffic and civil defense and the Prime Minister’s Office on the future of UAE and foresight processes, UN/UNESCO on the advancement of futures literacy for societal improvement, Ministries of Education Norway and Germany introducing transdisciplinarity for societal transformation, for the Texas State Government on the 30-year development of the future of Austin, TX, the Central Texas Technology Corridor and the cultural development of Austin, TX as well as .the future of energy tech for city development, Malaysian Government on the integration of creative into the 30 year Kuala Lumpur development plan, The City of London for the repurposing of Covent Garden and the future vision for Silicon Roundabout, etc. and for major Associations such as IAEE and AEM and IEEE.

Derek is a world-renowned conference speaker on a myriad of future-related subjects, particularly those related to the impact of future technologies on transformative societies, human-machine integration and co-development, and intelligent environments.

Prior to The Futures Lab Inc., Derek had previous experience as an executive on the board of two major international corporations with over 20 years SVP-level management in global strategy. He started his career as a diplomat with the British Government (FCO).

 He has lived and worked in eleven countries and is at home in six languages (English, Croatian, French, Italian, Bulgarian, and Dutch).

Derek is a founding and board member of the Association of Professional Futurists and ex-President of the World Futures Society Texas Chapter and a long-term member of the World Futures Studies Federation. He is also on the Executive Board of TAFFDs (Transdisciplinary Agora for Future Discussion).