Anticipation and Assessment of Technology Futures
Background
Technology research and development always occurs against the backdrop of predictions about the future, expectations that new technologies will solve particular problems, forecasts, fears, etc. Visions of the future shape the direction of scientific and technological progress and legitimise its public funding. Conversely, technology has a major influence on our future lives, both as a society and as individuals. As a result, technologies are often evaluated by society even before they have been fully developed and widely deployed. This involves the use of various forecasting methods (e.g. scenarios) to formulate visions of the future that are then evaluated in terms of how desirable or acceptable they are to society.
Visions of technology futures have a dual function: (a) they shape the direction of the science and technology agenda and public funding, and (b) they influence government’s and the public’s assessment of technology. The main aims of this project are to ensure the transparency of these functions and to formulate workable conceptual, methodological and ethical recommendations based on the latest research.
Project group members
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Gausemeier
Universität Paderborn - Prof. Dr. Armin Grunwald
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) - Prof. Dr. Wolfgang König
Technische Universität Berlin - Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Dipl.-Phys. Klaus Kornwachs
Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus - Prof. em. Dr. Peter Weingart
Universität Bielefeld - Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Walther Christoph Zimmerli
Humboldt Universität zu Berlin