Futures Group

The Notre Dame Futures Group is a platform for innovation and industry engagement. We develop and deliver world-class educational experiences where individuals and teams apply the discipline of innovation to address complex challenges and craft scalable solutions that benefit society and the world. We’re situated inside the Idea Center, Notre Dame’s innovation hub dedicated to expanding the impact of the University’s innovations and community.

We believe that the tools for creative problem-solving should be accessible to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Our central philosophy of innovation is the Strategic Innovation Methodology, an unbiased approach that combines the world’s leading innovation tools into a single framework for decision-making. It’s a trusted process you can turn to again and again as you evolve in an ever-changing business climate.

Our Mission

The Notre Dame Futures Group’s mission is to equip our partners with the community, knowledge, and organizational practices they need to build resilient, future-facing, and growth-minded cultures of innovation.

Why Partner with the Notre Dame Futures Group

Our Programs and communities bridge the gap between academia and industry, enriching both as we build a responsible, sustainable future.

We leverage faculty research,
giving Notre Dame’s elite teachers and researchers enhanced exposure to industry needs, idea generation, data, and validation.

We expose, educate and connect undergrad and graduate students
to relevant, real-world challenges in partnership with industry leaders.

We fuel entrepreneurs and innovators
by convening industry leaders together, and fostering a collaborative environment for strategic development and idea generation.

We build real community 
by finding real purpose. The Notre Dame Futures Group deepens alumni, parents’, and friends’ engagement with the university and each other through their mutual interests.

We link Notre Dame’s resources
to our community of values-aligned professionals so they can shape the future of their industry.

How We Work

Corporate and Industry Partnerships

We work directly with corporate and business partners to build systems of open innovation, help them create new products, and co-design innovative new processes. In short, we partner with companies across industries on their biggest, most meaningful challenges. From in-person learning to custom-designed programs targeted at building your capacity to innovate and building your network of experts, our corporate and industry partnerships accelerate new ideas and help you hit your strategic goals.

NDFG Global Immersions

With 12 gateways around the world, we go deep with global partners, tailoring our programs to fit their needs and their challenges. Through the Notre Dame Futures Group, you’ll gain access to industry leaders, local governments, and the divergent thinking you need to innovate. We can offer region-specific programs that fully embrace the context, cultures, and markets you’re looking to enter.

Innovation Communities

A core part of our mission is hosting and convening Innovation Communities—networks of people and organizations working together to drive new ideas and solutions. Through collaboration and research-backed strategies, the community helps solve industry problems and promotes growth. Better still, these Innovation Communities connect industry to Notre Dame’s exceptional global network of faculty, alumni, and parents.