Technology assessment
Encyclopedia
Technology assessmentTechnology assessment (TA, German Tenteractive, and communicative process that aims to contribute to the formation of public and political opinion on societal aspects of science and technology.
TA is the study and evaluation
of new technologies
. It is based on the conviction that new developments within, and discoveries by, the scientific community
are relevant for the world at large rather than just for the scientific experts themselves, and that technological progress can never be free of ethical
implications. Also, technology assessment recognizes the fact that scientist
s normally are not trained ethicist
s themselves and accordingly ought to be very careful when passing ethical judgement on their own, or their colleagues, new findings, projects, or work in progress
.
Technology assessment assumes a global perspective and is future
-oriented rather than backward-looking or anti-technological. ("Scientific research and science-based technological innovation is an indispensable prerequisite of modern life and civilization. There is no alternative. For six or eight billion people there is no way back to a less sophisticated life style."). TA considers its task as interdisciplinary approach to solving already existing problems and preventing potential damage caused by the uncritical application and the commercialization of new technologies. Therefore any results of technology assessment studies must be published, and particular consideration must be given to communication with political decision-makers
.
An important problem, TA has to deal with it, is the so-called Collingridge dilemma
: on the one hand, impacts of new technologies cannot be easily predicted until the technology is extensively developed and widely used; on the other hand, control or change of a technology is difficult as soon as it is widely used.
Some of the major fields of TA are: information technology
, hydrogen technologies
, nuclear technology
, molecular nanotechnology
, pharmacology
, organ transplant
s, gene technology
, artificial intelligence
, the Internet
and many more. Health technology assessment
is related, but profoundly different, despite the similarity in the name.
(EPTA] network, some are working for the STOA panel
of the European Parliament
and formed the European Technology Assessment Group
(ETAG).
General description
Note: This section/article is currently under revision as it does not live up to the current state of TA knowledge and practice. See the related discussion here.TA is the study and evaluation
Evaluation
Evaluation is systematic determination of merit, worth, and significance of something or someone using criteria against a set of standards.Evaluation often is used to characterize and appraise subjects of interest in a wide range of human enterprises, including the arts, criminal justice,...
of new technologies
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
. It is based on the conviction that new developments within, and discoveries by, the scientific community
Scientific community
The scientific community consists of the total body of scientists, its relationships and interactions. It is normally divided into "sub-communities" each working on a particular field within science. Objectivity is expected to be achieved by the scientific method...
are relevant for the world at large rather than just for the scientific experts themselves, and that technological progress can never be free of ethical
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
implications. Also, technology assessment recognizes the fact that scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
s normally are not trained ethicist
Ethicist
An ethicist is one whose judgment on ethics and ethical codes has come to be trusted by a specific community, and is expressed in some way that makes it possible for others to mimic or approximate that judgement...
s themselves and accordingly ought to be very careful when passing ethical judgement on their own, or their colleagues, new findings, projects, or work in progress
Work in progress
Work in progress may refer to:-Film:* A Work in Progress, a documentary film of the recording of Rush's Test for Echo album* Work in Progress , a computer-animated short film-Music:* Work in Progress , by Man Alive...
.
Technology assessment assumes a global perspective and is future
Future
The future is the indefinite time period after the present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the nature of the reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist is temporary and will come...
-oriented rather than backward-looking or anti-technological. ("Scientific research and science-based technological innovation is an indispensable prerequisite of modern life and civilization. There is no alternative. For six or eight billion people there is no way back to a less sophisticated life style."). TA considers its task as interdisciplinary approach to solving already existing problems and preventing potential damage caused by the uncritical application and the commercialization of new technologies. Therefore any results of technology assessment studies must be published, and particular consideration must be given to communication with political decision-makers
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
An important problem, TA has to deal with it, is the so-called Collingridge dilemma
Collingridge dilemma
The Collingridge dilemma is a methodological quandary in which efforts to control technology development face a double-bind problem:* an information problem: impacts cannot be easily predicted until the technology is extensively developed and widely used....
: on the one hand, impacts of new technologies cannot be easily predicted until the technology is extensively developed and widely used; on the other hand, control or change of a technology is difficult as soon as it is widely used.
Some of the major fields of TA are: information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, hydrogen technologies
Hydrogen technologies
Hydrogen technologies are technologies that relate to the production and use of hydrogen. Hydrogen technologies are applicable for many uses....
, nuclear technology
Nuclear technology
Nuclear technology is technology that involves the reactions of atomic nuclei. Among the notable nuclear technologies are nuclear power, nuclear medicine, and nuclear weapons...
, molecular nanotechnology
Molecular nanotechnology
Molecular nanotechnology is a technology based on the ability to build structures to complex, atomic specifications by means of mechanosynthesis. This is distinct from nanoscale materials...
, pharmacology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
, organ transplant
Organ donation
Organ donation is the donation of biological tissue or an organ of the human body, from a living or dead person to a living recipient in need of a transplantation. Transplantable organs and tissues are removed in a surgical procedure following a determination, based on the donor's medical and...
s, gene technology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
, artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
, the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and many more. Health technology assessment
Health technology assessment
Health Technology Assessment is a multi-disciplinary field of policy analysis that examines the medical, economic, social and ethical implications of the incremental value, diffusion and use of a medical technology in health care....
is related, but profoundly different, despite the similarity in the name.
Forms and concepts of technology assessment
The following types of concepts of TA are those that are most visible and practiced. There are, however, a number of further TA forms that are only proposed as concepts in the literature or are the label used by a particular TA institution.- Parliamentary TA (PTA): TA activities of various kinds whose addressee is a parliament. PTA may be performed directly by members of those parliaments (e.g. in France and Finland) or on their behalf by related TA institutions (such as in the UK, in Germany and Denmark) or by organisations not directly linked to a Parliament (such as in the Netherlands and Switzerland).
- Expert TA (often also referred to as the classical TA or traditional TA concept): TA activities carried out by (a team of) TA and technical experts. Input from stakeholders and other actors is included only via written statements, documents and interviews, but not as in participatory TA.
- Participatory TA (pTA): TA activities which actively, systematically and methodologically involve various kinds of social actors as assessors and discussants, such as different kinds of civil society organisations, representatives of the state systems, but characteristically also individual stakeholders and citizens (lay persons), technical scientists and technical experts. Standard pTA methods include consensus conferences, focus groups, scenario workshops etc. Sometimes pTA is further divided into expert-stakeholder pTA and public pTA (including lay persons).
- Constructive TA (CTA): This concept of TA, developed in the Netherlands, but also applied and discussed elsewhere attempts to broaden the design of new technology through feedback of TA activities into the actual construction of technology. Contrary to other forms of TA, CTA is not directed toward influencing regulatory practices by assessing the impacts of technology. Instead, CTA wants to address social issues around technology by influencing design practices.
- Discursive TA or Argumentative TA: This type of TA wants to deepen the political and normative debate about science, technology and society. It is inspired by ethics, policy discourse analysis and the sociology of expectations in science and technology. This mode of TA aims to clarify and bring under public and political scrutiny the normative assumptions and visions that drive the actors who are socially shaping science and technology. Accordingly, argumentative TA not only addresses the side effects of technological change, but deals with both broader impacts of science and technology and the fundamental normative question of why developing a certain technology is legitimate and desirable.
- Health TA (HTA): A specialised type of expert TA informing policy makers about efficacy, safety and cost effectiveness issues of pharmaceuticals and medical treatments, see article on Health Technology AssessmentHealth technology assessmentHealth Technology Assessment is a multi-disciplinary field of policy analysis that examines the medical, economic, social and ethical implications of the incremental value, diffusion and use of a medical technology in health care....
.
Technology assessment institutions around the world
Many TA institutions are members of the European Parliamentary Technology AssessmentEuropean Parliamentary Technology Assessment
The European Parliamentary Technology Assessment is a network of technology assessment institutions specialising in advising parliamentary bodies in Europe.- Objectives :...
(EPTA] network, some are working for the STOA panel
Science and Technology Options Assessment
The Science and Technology Options Assessment panel is a committee of members of the European Parliament devoted to all issues related to technology assessment and science assessment.-Role:...
of the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
and formed the European Technology Assessment Group
European Technology Assessment Group
The European Technology Assessment Group is a cooperative network of scientific institutions that carries out studies in the field of technology assessment on behalf of the European Parliament.-History and Mission:...
(ETAG).
- Centre for Technology Assessment (TA-SWISS)Centre for Technology Assessment TA-SWISSThe Centre for Technology Assessment TA-SWISS is a Centre of Competence of the , based on a mandate in the Swiss federal law on research. It is an advisory body, financed by public money, and devoted to technology assessment...
, Bern, Switzerland. - Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, ViennaInstitute of Technology AssessmentThe Institute of Technology Assessment is a research unit of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna.The ITA is the only institution in Austria that is fully devoted to technology assessment...
- (former) Office of Technology Assessment (OTA)Office of Technology AssessmentThe Office of Technology Assessment was an office of the United States Congress from 1972 to 1995. OTA's purpose was to provide Congressional members and committees with objective and authoritative analysis of the complex scientific and technical issues of the late 20th century, i.e. technology...
- Institute Society and Technology (IST) Brussels
- Norwegian Board of Technology, Oslo
- Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), LondonParliamentary Office of Science and TechnologyThe Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, is the Parliament of the United Kingdom's in-house source of independent, balanced and accessible analysis of public policy issues related to science and technology...
- Rathenau Institute, The HagueThe HagueThe Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
- Science and Technology Options Assessment (STOA) panel of the European Parliament, BrusselsScience and Technology Options AssessmentThe Science and Technology Options Assessment panel is a committee of members of the European Parliament devoted to all issues related to technology assessment and science assessment.-Role:...
- Science and Technology Policy Research (SPRU), Sussex
- t.b.c.
See also
- Collingridge dilemmaCollingridge dilemmaThe Collingridge dilemma is a methodological quandary in which efforts to control technology development face a double-bind problem:* an information problem: impacts cannot be easily predicted until the technology is extensively developed and widely used....
- TechnologyTechnologyTechnology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
- Technology DynamicsTechnology DynamicsTechnology dynamics is broad and relatively new scientific field that has been developed in the framework of the postwar science and technology studies field. It studies the process of technological change. Under the field of Technology Dynamics the process of technological change is explained by...
- Technology forecastingTechnology forecastingTechnology forecasting attempts to predict the future characteristics of useful technological machines, procedures or techniques.-Important aspects:...
- Technology readiness levelTechnology Readiness LevelTechnology Readiness Level is a measure used by some United States government agencies and many of the world's major companies to assess the maturity of evolving technologies prior to incorporating that technology into a system or subsystem...
- Technology transferTechnology transferTechnology Transfer, also called Transfer of Technology and Technology Commercialisation, is the process of skill transferring, knowledge, technologies, methods of manufacturing, samples of manufacturing and facilities among governments or universities and other institutions to ensure that...
External links
- Scientific Technology Options Assessment (STOA), European Parliament
- European Technology Assessment Group for STOA
- Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), Research Centre Karlsruhe, Germany
- Office of Technology Assessment at the German Parliament (TAB)
- TA-SWISS Centre for Technology Assessment
- Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- The Danish Board of Technology
- Rathenau Institute
- The Norwegian Board of Technology