Dr. Laurent Bontoux is a Senior Foresight for Policy Expert at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre. His daily work involves bringing future-oriented systemic thinking into EU policymaking. He applies participative approaches that are inclusive of all relevant stakeholders (Commission, Industry, Member States, international institutions, civil society, academia…) to make sure that the best evidence is used to build the collective intelligence necessary for effective policymaking. Recently, this experience has been applied to better understand how to make the EU food system sustainable and to reflect on the EU’s sustainable transition in the frame of the preparation of the European Commission’s Annual Strategic Foresight Report.
Laurent has two engineering degrees, in food technology (FR) and in environmental engineering (USA). Prior to joining the European Commission, he spent 3 years ensuring the environmental safety of household products at Procter & Gamble in Brussels. He joined the European Commission in 1993 where he spent most of his career working at the science/policy interface on a wide range of issues. Beyond sustainable development, his portfolios have had a particular focus on health and environmental risk assessment topics ranging from nanotechnologies and wastewater reuse to antimicrobial resistance, and from endocrine disruptors to the health effects of electromagnetic fields. This led him to gain hands on experience on how various types of scientific evidence is used in policy and on the reality of engaging with a broad diversity of stakeholders.