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Technology Assessment in World Society
22. - 24. November 2006, Berlin, Neue Mälzerei des Umweltforums
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First Announcement and Call for Papers
Background
Technology assessment (TA) and innovation and technology analysis have been developed in national and regional contexts. The dealing with chances and risks of new technologies, the analysis and solution of technology conflicts, as well as the examination of the conditions for successful innovations and potential obstacles have taken place at the traditional levels of technology, research and innovation policy. Consequently, the addressees of TA have been national parliaments, governments and public authorities, as well as corresponding institutions at the regional and local level.
This model, combining technology assessment and innovation analysis with providing action-oriented advice to institutions within a national framework, emerged in the seventies of the last century and stabilised in the 1980s and 1990s, differentiating into a multitude of different lines of research and advice at the different levels.
However, in the course of technological, economic and increasingly also political globalisation, particularly after the end of the Cold War, the boundary conditions for this orientation of TA have dramatically changed - at least according to the following often heard assumptions:
- Technology development takes place in world-wide networks, as shown by examples such as Open Source Software, the Human Genome Project or nano(bio)technology.
- The use and diffusion of technology are increasingly globalised; the influence of regional "cultures" on dealing with technology is getting smaller. Power supply networks have long since outgrown the political borders of nation states; for genetic tests there is a global market on the World Wide Web.
- Technology impacts have to be considered in a global context. This is the only reasonable perspective for the topics of climate change, genetic resources, energy, the effects of global transportation and financial flows on the social organisation of goods production.
- Important decision-making in regulation is shifting to higher aggregated levels, e.g. from the national to the European level.
- Today, research and technology development are mainly taking place in global companies, thus largely defying control by the nation state. What are the chances of regulation e.g. in view of the capital mobility in the international financial markets?
- Civil society actors and NGOs have gained increasing influence and have to be increasingly taken into account in the respective opinion formation processes.
Aims and issues of the conference
If these assumptions are (completely or partially) correct, this must have an effect on the way how TA is able to fulfil its tasks in research and consultancy in such a changed and still changing world society. Against this background, the following questions are addressed:
Section 1: "Global" technology
To what extent have the genesis and use of technology changed? What is special about "global" TA? How does the group of actors in the development and production of technology expand? How is it possible to consider the differing social adaptation in different cultural contexts? What other criteria for "good" technology and appropriate processes of technology design can be formulated against the background of the diversity of standards?
Section 2: "Global" politics
What are the resulting consequences for the question of the addressees of TA? Who shall be advised in an increasingly globally organised world? What decision-making processes have to be considered by TA to ensure effective work? Who is able to design technology at the global level, and what governance models are related to this? Or do the "classic" addressees of TA like national parliaments and governments still remain important and perhaps only need "another form of" advice?
Section 3: TA in the "global" world
How will the traditional methodological fields of TA be influenced by the development towards a world society? If world society involves new addressees or generates new paths of technology development, this can lead to changes in the "TA toolbox". Are there any new (global) cooperation patterns and forms of work that allow TA to operate in a globalised world? How can participatory procedures be implemented at a European or global level, particularly in view of the fact that civil society actors and NGOs have gained increasing influence and must be considered stronger in the opinion forming process. Does the global perspective lead to a strengthening of expert TA because it becomes easier to make statements of "international validity", or does the diversity of scientific cultures involved have the opposite effect?
At the conference, these questions shall be addressed at the conceptual level, on the one hand, and on the basis of real case studies, on the other hand. The case studies shall be both "best" or "good practices" and shall also provide examples of how known TA concepts are coming under pressure of change through the development towards a world society.
The following technology areas particularly lend themselves to examination in a global context:
- information and communication technology
- biotechnology and genetic engineering
- nanotechnology and the "converging technologies"
- energy technologies
In fields already looking back to sufficient historical experience we particularly expect presentations that empirically demonstrate the changes towards a world society as well as the new demands on TA.
Addressees
Researchers and practitioners from the following areas are addressed as speakers and participants:
- technology assessment and related fields such as innovation research, practical ethics, or innovation and technology analysis;
- scientific disciplines relevant for the conference theme (natural sciences and engineering, on the one hand, and social sciences and cultural studies, on the other hand);
- politics and economics;
- civil society (e.g. [global] non-governmental organisations).
Call for Papers
The conference consists of invited papers, submitted papers, and a poster session. The languages of the conference will be German and English.
Abstracts (max. 500 words) with indication of the address of the speaker and the intended section (technical sections 1 to 3 as listed above, or [junior] poster session) can be sent electronically to the following e-mail address:
NTA2@itas.fzk.de
Deadline for the submission of proposals is 9. June 2006.
Deadline for submissions has been extended till
7th of July 2006.
Notification about acceptance by the end of July.
Promotion of junior TA scientists
The conference particularly aims at promoting junior scientists and therefore will hold a poster session with young scientists (graduands, doctoral candidates) working in the field of technology assessment or on the conference theme.
Conference scholarships (travel and accommodation expenses) are available for doctoral candidates and young scientists (up to 5 postdoctoral years). To apply for such a scholarship, please send a short motivation letter and a CV together with the abstract (see: Call for papers).
The "TA network"
The German-language "Netzwerk TA" (TA Network) is an association of scientists and experts in the field of "technology assessment". The aims of the network are to exchange information, to identify common research and advisory tasks, to initiate and support methodological developments, as well as to strengthen the role of TA in science and society. The network also serves as a platform for cooperations and joint actions. The "Netzwerk TA" website is available at http://www.netzwerk-ta.net
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