What if the organizations best equipped for tomorrow weren't just planning for the future but actively designing it by learning from 3.8 billion years of nature's R&D?

This is the vision behind the Institut des Futurs souhaitables (IFS or Institute for Desirable Futures in English), a unique French school of prospective thinking that's redefining how businesses, designers, and innovators approach strategic transformation.

At Asteria, we've partnered with IFS since the very beginning of our journey. Through the FocusLab Biomimétisme, we're combining their world-class foresight methodology with our AI-powered biomimicry platform to help organizations not just imagine better futures, but build them with nature as a guide.

But first, let's explore who IFS is and why their approach to "desirable futures" matters now more than ever.

We're not a bad species, we're just a young one

This philosophy sits at the heart of the Institut des Futurs souhaitables.

Founded with profound recognition, humanity is going through metamorphoses, facing unprecedented challenges. But rather than succumbing to doom or denial, IFS promotes an approach that empowers everyone, regardless of background, with the tools to construct futures worth building.

Their mission? Open up the future to liberate the present.

This isn't abstract philosophy. It's a practical methodology grounded in three core principles:

1. Travel through time between the future, past, and present to conceive what's desirable.
2. Draw inspiration from living systems to invent resilient solutions.
3. Adopt strategies of discernment and massive construction tools to liberate action.

It results in an organization that doesn't just teach foresight. They embody a movement of over 1,850 "positive conspirators" (from the Latin conspirare: to breathe together) actively building tomorrow's world from where they stand today.

From vision to ecosystem: The IFS approach

What started as a bold educational experiment has evolved into something far more significant: a globally recognized school of prospective thinking with tangible impact across industries.

The numbers tell part of the story:

• 2,000+ alumni trained across multiple programs.
• 400+ organizations accompanied in preparing for tomorrow.
• 12,000+ people sensitized to desirable futures each year.

But the numbers don't capture what makes IFS truly distinctive.

This is an organization that practices what it teaches. Their tagline "Think outside. Create conditions conducive to life" isn't marketing speak. It's their operational DNA.

"Thinking outside" means stepping beyond human-centered design to recognize we're part of a larger living system. "Creating conditions conducive to life" means designing products, services, and strategies that actively contribute to ecosystem health, not just reduce harm.

Meet the architects of desirable futures

Behind IFS is a team of thought leaders who've dedicated their careers to making prospective thinking accessible and actionable.

Mathieu Baudin, Co-founder

Author of "Dites à l'Avenir que nous arrivons" (Tell the Future We're Coming), Mathieu has shaped the philosophical foundation of "prospective des souhaitables", a uniquely French approach to foresight that combines rigor with imagination.

Jean-Luc Verreaux, Co-founder

A pioneer in organizational transformation, Jean-Luc brings deep expertise in helping companies and institutions navigate complexity with clarity and purpose.

Delphine Blumereau, Deputy Director

With over 8 years at IFS, Delphine connects organizations whose intentions align with the Institut's vision. A Sciences Po graduate and former president of NGO CliMates, she facilitates collective intelligence and bridges institutional and civil society worlds.

Tarik Chekchak, Director of Living Systems Strategy Division

And here's where the Asteria connection becomes especially powerful.

Tarik is not just a key figure at IFS, he's also a member of Asteria's Scientific Advisory Board and one of the founding members of Ceebios, the European Center of Excellence in Biomimicry.

For over 12 years, Tarik served as Director of Science and Environment for the Cousteau team, leading pioneering marine conservation projects that contributed to UNESCO World Heritage designations. Since 2008, he's been instrumental in developing biomimicry as a discipline in France.

What makes Tarik's role unique? He bridges two worlds that rarely intersect: strategic foresight and nature-inspired innovation. His ability to translate complex ecological principles into practical business strategies aligns perfectly with both IFS's mission and Asteria's vision.

Beyond his scientific work, Tarik is also a polar expedition leader with over 20 years of experience, proof that true innovation requires both rigorous thinking and the courage to explore uncharted territories.

The IFS learning ecosystem: Five pathways to transformation

The Institut des Futurs souhaitables has created a comprehensive learning architecture with programs designed for different needs and ambitions:

LabSession

A transformative journey to 2050 and back, giving participants a time advantage to explore tomorrow's challenges and opportunities.

FocusLab Generative AI

Understanding and using generative AI consciously, which is critical for any organization navigating the AI transformation.

FocusLab Biomimétisme

A partnership between IFS, Ceebios, the National Museum of Natural History, ENSCi Les Ateliers, and Asteria. 3.5 days to reconcile biodiversity, innovation, and economics in your work.

Why biomimicry + foresight?

Traditional innovation often solves today's problems with today's constraints. The FocusLab Biomimétisme flips this: it asks participants to identify the challenges they'll face in desirable futures, then search nature's 3.8-billion-year archive for solutions that are inherently sustainable.

What makes this program special?

• The Biomim+ methodology. Co-created with Ceebios, based on cutting-edge research (including doctoral work by Pierre-Emmanuel Fayemi, Anneline Letard, and Eliot Graeff, Asteria's CEO but also design insights from Guillian Graves), this 8-step framework has been refined through years of real-world application.
• AI-powered discovery with Asteria. Traditionally, biological research for biomimicry projects takes months. During the FocusLab, participants get hands-on access to Asteria's platform, reducing discovery time to hours. Search by function ("thermal regulation," "stress resistance") rather than species names, accessing 680,000+ natural mechanisms from peer-reviewed literature.
• Diverse cohort, collective intelligence. Up to 28 participants from sectors spanning luxury, construction, distribution, materials, and more. Designers, architects, R&D managers, scientists, consultants, elected officials... The cross-pollination of perspectives is where breakthrough ideas emerge.

As Nathalie Devulder, Director of CSR & R&D at RTE (French Electricity Transmission Network), shared after completing the program:

"It was an extraordinary human experience. We all came out very enthusiastic about this training, especially our industrial partners. We've since launched a working group on a marine lifestyle line..."

TerritoryLab

Designing territories to accelerate ecological and social transition.

FocusLab Organizational Transformation

Rethinking organizational models to adapt to tomorrow's challenges.

Beyond training: an ecosystem that keeps growing

Twice a year, the IFS community gathers for conferences, workshops, and deep exchanges. But the real magic happens in the spaces between formal programs.

From day one of any IFS training, you join the Conspirateurs Positifs (C+) community, a 1,850+ alumni group including designers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and change-makers who continue collaborating long after their training ends.

This isn't a LinkedIn network. It's an active ecosystem where members:

• Share projects and contacts
• Organize working groups on specific challenges
• Provide mutual aid for launching initiatives
• Build the archipelagos of desirable futures together

The IFS also runs extensive public interest programs:

• Epop& (Popular University of Desirables): 5-6 free monthly events making foresight accessible to everyone
• Post-R: A free digital tool exploring 12 major 21st-century challenges and their interconnections
• Cabinet de Curiosités du Futur: A poetic, pedagogical museum experience featuring objects from possible futures

The partnership that makes biomimicry strategic

Here's where Asteria's collaboration with IFS becomes transformative.

The challenge: Biomimicry is powerful, but traditionally research-intensive and slow to scale. Foresight is essential, but can remain abstract without concrete tools for implementation.

The solution: Combine IFS's proven methodology for imagining desirable futures with Asteria's AI platform for discovering nature-inspired solutions at speed.

Think of it as giving strategic foresight a biological blueprint.

In the FocusLab Biomimétisme, this looks like:

1. Foresight framing (IFS methodology): What functions will your products, services, or organization need to perform in a desirable 2035?
2. Biological discovery (Asteria platform): What natural systems already solve these challenges elegantly?
3. Prototyping for viability (integrated approach): Testing solutions not just against today's constraints, but in tomorrow's context

The partnership goes even deeper:

• Shared governance: Both organizations are shareholders (sociétaires) of Ceebios
• Cross-pollination: Asteria team members receive training through IFS programs
• Scientific alignment: Tarik Chekchak serves on Asteria's Scientific Advisory Board, ensuring methodological coherence
• Long-term collaboration: Eliot Graeff (Asteria CEO) has been teaching in the FocusLab since its inception, sharing cutting-edge biomimicry research and tools

Who is biomimicry really for?

Here's a common hesitation we hear: "This sounds fascinating, but I'm not a biologist."

Good news… neither are most FocusLab participants.

The 28-person cohort brings together product designers rethinking packaging, R&D managers hunting for breakthrough materials, architects reimagining how buildings interact with their environment, and business leaders questioning whether their organizations could function more like ecosystems than machines.

What they share isn't a biology background. It's a recognition that nature has already solved the problems they're wrestling with and the willingness to learn a new way of looking.

The results speak for themselves. Participants rated their experience 8.6 out of 10 overall, with team support scoring even higher at 8.9. More telling? Not a single person has abandoned the training midway through since the program launched. When you're learning to see the world through nature's lens alongside people facing similar challenges, something shifts.

Upcoming FocusLab Biomimétisme: June 2026

Session #25

Dates: June 10-11-12, 2026 (in Paris) + June 26, 2026 (remote half-day)

Duration: 24.5 hours over 3.5 days

What you receive:

• Complete training in the Biomim+ methodology
• Hands-on access to Asteria's AI platform during and after training
• Membership in the C+ community (1,850+ alumni)
• Digital platform with all learning materials
• Ongoing support from the biomimicry professional network

Who should apply: Decision-makers, designers, architects, journalists, industrial professionals, scientists, researchers, R&D project managers, elected officials, consultants, or anyone in professional transition seeking to integrate biomimicry into their practice.

No prerequisites required. Training is accessible to people with disabilities. More information and registration here.

Ready to build your desirable future?

Whether you're taking the first steps into biomimicry or ready to make it a core competency, the Institut des Futurs souhaitables offers pathways designed for real-world impact.

Getting started

New to prospective thinking?

Download IFS's methodology article "From Foresight to Prospective of Desirables"

Ready to explore biomimicry?

Watch the recent webinar where Tarik Chekchak and Bérénice Barbin present the Biomim+ method augmented by AI: Watch the January 27, 2025 session

Want the full experience?

Join the June 2026 FocusLab Biomimétisme cohort

Prefer to start with Asteria?

Request a demo of our AI-powered biomimicry platform and see how we're accelerating nature-inspired innovation: Book a demo

Connect with IFS

• Website: futurs-souhaitables.org
• Community platform: communaute.futurs-souhaitables.org
• Explore all trainings: IFS Formation Catalog
• Public events (Epop&): Browse upcoming free programs

In summary: The Institut des Futurs souhaitables proves that foresight without action is just daydreaming, and innovation without vision is just iteration. By combining strategic prospective with nature-inspired design, and turbocharging both with AI through our partnership, they're equipping organizations to not just survive the future, but actively design one worth living in.

The real question isn't "Can we learn from nature?" but "Are we building for the world we want, or just reacting to the world we fear?".