Teknologian ennakointi-ja Arviointikaytantojen Kehittaminen Euroop-Palaisen Kokemuksen Pohjalta. (Developing Technology Foresight and Technology Assessment Practices on the Basis of European Experience.)

摘要

The report examines Finnish technology foresight (TF) and technology assessment (TA) practices from the perspective of knowledge management. The issues examined are: (1) Finnish TF and TA practices compared with other European practices, (2) possibilities of utilising European TF and TA work and experiences in Finland, and (3) Finnish TF and TA development work in the EU context. The understanding of these issues was developed by participating in on-going Finnish and European investigation and monitoring processes and by analysing the data within a proper theoretical framework. It is concluded that one of the most important challenges facing the Finnish development work is to organise technology foresight and technology assessment activities so that the resulting knowledge and know-how accumulates. As the diversity of the Finnish TF and TA activities seems to be an advantage various approaches should be developed in parallel even in the future. The need to integrate TF and TA practices into the strategy work of individual organisations (companies and research institutes) is also underlined, as well as the challenges linked to the uses and impacts of the TF and TA exercises. Important viewpoints can be brought into the EU processes through international TF and TA co-operation. Multi-valued discussion about technological developments would provide a sound basis for developing the Finnish practices in all these sub-areas. In the report the TF and TA practices are examined especially from the viewpoint of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (KTM), the National Technology Agency (Tekes) and VTT. Correspondingly, the concrete recommendations are mainly directed at these organisations. The study may, however, be of broader interest too. The challenges of Finnish development work are illustrated by analysing a number of example cases.