SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Technology Forecasts & Studies

Policy/Plans

General Resources

Technology Forecasts & Studies

Battelle Technology Forecasts

Battelle provides forecasts of key technologies in a number of categories, including: Top 10 Technologies by 2005, Top 10 Most Innovative Products by 2006, and Strategic Technologies by 2020.

http://www.battelle.org/forecasts/

The GW Forecast

The GW Forecast brings experts together online to forecast forthcoming breakthroughs and strategically plan for their impact. It can be thought of as a "virtual think-tank" that conducts its work electronically. The Forecast pools the collective knowledge of the world's best authorities, and then automatically distributes the most accurate possible forecasts based on this data to you -- anywhere in the world, on any prominent emerging technology or strategic issue, in real time.

http://gwforecast.gwu.edu/

Europe: Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (European Commission)

Founded in 1994 in Seville, Spain, the mission of the IPTS is to provide techno-economic analysis to support the European decision-makers. It monitors and analyses science and technology related developments, their cross-sectoral impacts, interrelationships and implications for future policy development.

http://www.jrc.es/welcome.html

Japan: Technology Forecast Survey

This survey, published in 1997, looks at future technology in Japan to the year 2025 and covers a wide range of areas including information/communications, urbanization/construction, natural resources, medical care, transportation, agriculture, fisheries, and environment.

http://www.nistep.go.jp/index-e.html

Ireland: Technology Foresight Ireland

Launched in March, 1998, the Irish Council for Science, Technology and Innovation ran a one-year exercise to examine the knowledge needed to underpin innovation, growth and competitiveness in the Irish economy. The project focused on eight sectors of the economy: Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals, Information and Communication Technologies, Materials and Manufacturing Processes, Health and Life Sciences, Natural Resources (Agri-food, Marine, Forestry), Energy, Transport and Logistics and Construction and Infrastructure.

http://www.forfas.ie/icsti/index.htm

United Kingdom: The Digital Futures Project

The Digital Futures project was launched in February 2000 by U.K. e-Minister Patricia Hewitt. It aims to explore the social and environmental impacts of e-commerce, and assess whether the digital economy could evolve into a powerful ally of sustainable development. Work on eight different research themes began on July 2000 and a final report is expected in February 2001.

New Zealand: The New Zealand Foresight Project

The Foresight Project is an initiative led by the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology. The project focuses on New Zealand's future and the role of research, science and technology in shaping that future. The project is designed to encourage an ongoing process of strategic thinking across diverse sectors, groups, and communities within New Zealand and guide the development of a new set of priorities for the Government's investment in research, science and technology. The project supports wide involvement and input from many sectors of society.

http://www.morst.govt.nz/foresight/front.html

Policy/Plans

National Science Policy Study

At the outset of the 105th Congress, the House Science Committee conducted a review of our national science policy and developed a new long-range science and technology policy published as: Unlocking Our Future: Toward a New National Science Policy.

http://www.house.gov/science/science_policy_study.htm

Strategic Information Technology Plan: 2000 to 2005

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is part of the executive branch in which their aim is to promote effective and efficient telecommunications and information policy issues. In essence, they seek to create job opportunities, increase U.S. competitiveness, and raise standard of living.

http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/annualrpt/strat99.html

Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles: Plans and Goals

The Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) is an historic public/private partnership between the U.S. federal government and DaimlerChrysler, Ford, and General Motors that aims to strengthen America's competitiveness by developing technologies for a new generation of vehicles. PNGV's long term goal, dubbed the "Supercar" goal , is to develop an environmentally friendly car with up to triple the fuel efficiency of today's midsize cars-- without sacrificing affordability, performance, or safety.

http://www.ta.doc.gov/pngv/goals/goals.htm

General Resources

Prosperity Games

Prosperity Games are high-level interactive simulations, similar to seminar war games, which help people explore the consequences of various goals and strategies in a risk-free environment. Since 1994, Sandia has facilitated 16 games exploring a variety of issues, from diversity to the US health care system.

http://www.cs.sandia.gov/projects/VxInsight/warrenpa/tsld013.htm

Future University Environment and Scenario for Engineering Education

This paper is from a 1998 workshop on Workshop on Advanced Technology for Engineering Education.

http://actuva-www.larc.nasa.gov/workshop/ws-abstracts.htm

Foresight Institute

The Foresight Institute offers technical and non-technical references to molecular manufacturing: what it is about, what it will make possible, and what are the dangers, as well as the opportunities, that will come with the development of nanotechnology.

http://www.foresight.org/NanoRev/index.html#anchor1033768