This chapter focuses on public research systems and the potential shifts that they are likely to experience over the next 10-15 years. While public research systems have their own specific trend dynamics – for example, with regard to research funding, where and how research is performed and reported, and researcher career paths – they are also affected by wider changes in economies and societies. This chapter explores what these changes might mean for public sector research, raising eight main questions about its future: What resources will be dedicated to public research? Who will fund public research? What public research will be performed and for what purpose? Who will perform public research? How will public research be performed? What will public research careers look like? What outputs and impacts will be expected of public research? And what will public research policy and governance look like?