Regulatory Horizon Scanning: Why It Belongs in Your Risk Toolkit
Regulatory change continues to challenge organizations worldwide. From the UK’s Digital Services Act and the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act to the U.S. Corporate Transparency Act, businesses must continuously pay close attention to ongoing local and global regulations. With escalating ESG disclosure mandates, increasing AI governance, and a surge in enforcement actions, the volume of new requirements—and the speed at which they hit—is forcing companies to rethink how they track risk.
This is where AI-driven regulatory horizon scanning comes in. By monitoring external developments, horizon scanning can ensure relevant information including regulation changes, policy shifts, and enforcement trends, are on your radar before becoming a business problem. Done right, regulatory horizon scanning helps compliance and risk teams move from reaction to readiness.
How is Horizon Scanning Being Used?
Consider the biopharma company using horizon scanning to monitor papers by international health agencies about stricter gene therapy controls. Months before regulators get involved, this company is already preparing its messaging and response. A competitor, on the other hand, is taken by surprise when formal regulations are drafted.
Beyond regulatory horizon scanning, companies are using AI-driven horizon scanning to make informed decisions about the market, competitors, trends and more.
Here are just a few examples:
- Monitoring industry trends: Tracking emerging innovations and shifts in the market
- Identifying future technologies: What tools are in development that can enhance operations or disrupt sales
- Discovering new opportunities: Exploring untapped markets and areas for growth
Final Thoughts
Regulatory horizon scanning isn’t about predicting the future. It’s about being ready for what lies ahead. For organizations already involved in horizon scanning, it’s time to move beyond alerts. The next step? Operationalizing regulatory horizon scanning and integrating it as part of your enterprise risk management strategy.
Want to see how that looks in real time?
Book a demo to learn how SAI360 turns regulatory horizon scanning into action.
