Dr Sirkka Heinonen has been with Finland Futures Research Centre, University of Turku as professor of Futures Studies since 2007, previously Chief Research Scientist at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.
She has 40 years of research and teaching in futures studies, especially on technology foresight and innovations, urban and rural futures, housing, work, and lifestyles, as well as futures policy.
Sirkka is a Member of the Club of Rome and Chair of the Helsinki Node of the Millennium Project.
Currently, she leads FFRC research in two three-year multidisciplinary research projects, funded by the Academy of Finland: RESCUE (Real Estate in Sustainable Urban Environment), and T-Winning Spaces 2035 (Winning Spatial Solution for Future of Work, enabling the double twin transitions of green/digital, and physical/virtual transforming our societies by 2035).
With a focus on science communication she contributes contents in the form of journal papers, reports, and books across academia and private and public sector. She is a Member of the Club of Rome (2005–), Co-Chair of the Helsinki Node of the Millennium Project (2001–), Guest Professor at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC 2013–), Member of the Academy of Technical Sciences (2014–), and President (2012–2015), Vice-President (2016–) and Honorary Member (2020–) of the Finnish Society for Futures Studies. She is also Honorary Member of Futures Finland, as well as a member of the board of editors for six scientific foresight journals. She is co-editor and co-author in a recent book ‘Our World of Futures Studies as A Mosaic’ where she presents the Finnish national foresight system
She is frequently asked to consult governments for forward-looking orientation in several foreign countries as well. She is member of the Chilean Council of Foresight and Strategy, and in the Philippine Futures Thinking Society. Heinonen has developed specific futures methodologies such as Futures Clinique, Creative Foresight Space, Pioneer Analysis, Paradox Probing and Hybrid Anticipatory Governance.
She is Director of Finland Futures Research Centre’s (FFRC) Helsinki Office, Korkeavuorenkatu 25 A 2, 00130 Helsinki, Finland.
