The New Abnormal
#TheNewAbnormal podcast (which has over 250,000 downloads) focuses on understanding today and anticipating the future. Discussing these subjects via the viewpoints of my guests has led to some fascinating conversations with activists, creatives, writers, philosophers, strategists, psychologists, lecturers, futurists, etc. Re: my bio, I'm a strategist, author and speaker. My 1st book went to No1 in the business charts, whilst my 2nd was shortlisted for the 'Business Book of the Year' Awards. (The podcast partners with The Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies, a global leader in applying futures studies to solve strategic challenges, helping clients to be #FuturesReady.) So, we hope you enjoy listening to the series - which was set up during the early days of Covid, and is divided into Series One [2020-21] Two [2022] Three [2023] Four [2024] and Five [2025]. All rights reserved. #TheNewAbnormal podcast series © Sean Pillot de Chenecey 2020. Please note that it's currently on hold, as I literally don’t have the time to record any episodes at the moment, but it’ll return in late summer...
The New Abnormal
Gergely Nemeth 'Strategic Foresight and Defence Innovation'
This episode of The New Abnormal podcast features Gergely Nemeth, former Head of Strategic Foresight at NATO and now CEO of Hungary’s Defence Innovation Research Institute (VIKI), who reflects on a career ‘impacted by coincidence’ but marked by increasing responsibility in defence planning, policy, and foresight.
Beginning as an intelligence analyst, he moved through roles in Hungary’s Ministry of Defence, NATO committees, and finally NATO’s Strategic Foresight team, where he revitalized foresight processes disrupted by COVID. A pivotal assignment in Brussels during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine gave him direct experience in international defence collaboration and NATO’s “art of the deal” diplomacy.
At VIKI, Nemeth leads efforts in foresight, innovation, and strategic outreach, supporting projects such as XR-based training systems and advancing the robotization of armed forces, which he views as inevitable due to demographic, technological, and battlefield realities.
A key point we discuss is the role of hope in futures thinking: Gergely believes that foresight must not only identify risks but also shape preferable futures through agency and action. Above all, he stresses the importance of intellectual honesty, institutional adaptation, and collaborative innovation as vital for building resilient defence ecosystems...