DBT-NewLOGOTeknologiraadet – Danish Board of Technology Foundation (Denmark)

The Danish Board of Technology Foundation is the parliamentary technology assessment institution of Denmark, established by law. It is an independent, non-profit, public institution, committed to technology assessment, foresight, parliamentary advisory activities on science, technology and innovation, and methodological research. The DBT works with a local, regional, national, as well as international perspective. It is specialized into interactive methodologies, involving trans-disciplinary research, stakeholder involvement, citizen participation, political debates and advice, and public communication.

Contact: Lars Klüver

 

Karlsruher Institut für Technologie – Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany)

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is a higher education and research organization established on 01/10/2009 as merger of Universität Karlsruhe, one of Germany’s leading research universities, and Forschungszentrum one of the largest research centres in the Helmholtz Association. The project work will be carried out by the Institute of Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), which is an institute of KIT. ITAS supports politics, science, business and the general public in future decision making. The institute applies and develops methods of technology assessment, systems analysis and technology foresight. ITAS carries out self-defined research work, as well as third party funded and contract research. In the parliamentary area, ITAS has been operating the Office of Technology Assessment at the German Parliament (TAB) since 1990.

Contact: Armin Grunwald (KIT) and Leo Hennen (ITAS)

 

Rathenau Instituut – The Rathenau Institute (Netherlands)

The Rathenau Institute (KNAW-RI) is an independent PTA organization founded in 1986 which encourages public and political debate about the social, ethical and political implications of science and technology. The Institute also studies the organization of the science system in the Netherlands and how it responds to scientific, societal and economic changes. Internationally the Institute assesses technology for the European Parliament in the European Technology Assessment Group (ETAG), which consist of seven European parliamentary TA organizations.

Contact: Jan Staman

 

TEK_new-logoTeknologiraadet – Norwegian Board of Technology (Norway)

The Norwegian Board of Technology (NBT) is an independent body for technology assessment established by the Norwegian Government in 1999, following an initiative by the NorwegianParliament. The Board aims to assess impacts and options of technology in all areas of society; to stimulate public debate on technology; and to support the political decision-making process and shaping of technological change. The Board furthermore monitors international technological trends and methods for technology assessment and foresight.

Contact: Tore Tennøe

 

Institut für Technikfolgen-Abschätzung – The Institute of Technology Assessment  (Austria)

The Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) is a research facility of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OAW). The Institute employs sixteen scientific researchers with expertise in economics, business administration, sociology, political science, communications technology, telecommunications, molecular biology, genetics, ecology, chemistry and law is combined in the interdisciplinary field of TA. ITA performs inter-disciplinary scientific research at the interface of technology and society. Its work focuses on development trends, on societal consequences and on options for shaping technological change. The results are processed into decision-related options.

Contact: Michael Nentwich

 

Applied Research and Communications Fund (Bulgaria)

The Applied Research and Communications Fund (ARC) Fund was established in 1991 and today is one of the most influential Bulgarian NGOs active in the fields of innovation and knowledge economy. Its activities encourage competitiveness and growth of economies in the region through promotion of innovation and transfer of advanced technologies and know-how. ARC Fund provides technology brokering, innovation counseling, training and information services to over 5,000 clients, representing both leading high-tech industries (such as ICTs or biotech) and more traditional, but equally important industrial sectors such as transport, textiles, food or furniture production. ARC Fund is also engaged in policy-advisory work and cooperates closely with key government agencies and local authorities in Bulgaria in defining national, regional and sectoral research and innovation policies.

Contact: Nikolay Badinski

 

Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica – Institute of Technology of Biology and Chemistry (Portugal)

The Institute of Technology of Biology and Chemistry (ITQB) is a scientific research and advanced training institute of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa (UNL). Its mission is to develop fundamental research in Chemistry and the life sciences, and to explore potential research applications. Through a well-established role in research and development, ITQB collaborates with Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC) and Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (IBET) to form one of the major Laboratórios Associados in Portugal. The Laboratório Associado status is attributed by the Minister of Science and Technology to research institutions considered fundamental for the national scientific strategy and recognized as excellent by international panels. The research developed at ITQB has the potential to create real opportunities for applications either through patent licensing or by the creation of start-up companies.

Contact: Mara Almeida

 

Instituut Samenleving en Technologie – Institute Society and Technology  (Flanders, Belgium)

The Institute Society and Technology (IST) was till 2012 the parliamentary technology assessment institution of Flanders. The Flemish Parliament defined its mission as follows: “to study the features and consequences of developments in science and technology, focusing on their impact on society. IST will inform the Flemish Parliament about public debate and controversies involving science and technology. The role of IST in the public debate is to clarify arguments and positions, to interpret the subjects in their context, to elucidate the debate and to see to it that, in addition to experts, the general public can also be heard”. Also for IST, as a regional parliamentary institute, it was important to work both with a local and an international perspective. The institute focused on the creative use of interactive methodologies, involving trans-disciplinary research, stakeholder involvement, citizen participation, debates and advice and public communication.

IST ceased to exist in December 2012.

Contact: Robert Beloznik

 

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Fundació Catalana per a la Recerca i la Innovació – Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation  (Catalonia, Spain)

The Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation, a private body set up in 1986, has as its main aims to increase social recognition of research by science dissemination and to explore new avenues for cooperation involving the public and private sectors in the scientific research activities in Catalonia. The Foundation facilitates, implements and is present in activities for disseminating science in Catalonia, which are targeted to the whole of society, especially young people, thus encouraging scientific careers and highlighting socially the results and the scope of research.

Contact: Belén López

 

Zentrum für Technologiefolgen-Abschätzung – Swiss Centre for Technology Assessment (Switzerland)

The Swiss Centre for Technology Assessment (TA-SWISS) is the parliamentary technology assessment institution of Switzerland, established by law by the Federal Government and is an advisory body for the Swiss Parliament and the Federal Council. It is an independent, non-profit, public institution, committed to technology assessment, foresight, parliamentary advisory activities on science, technology and innovation. TA-SWISS is affiliated to the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences. TA-SWISS works with national, as well as international perspective. It is specialized into interactive methodologies, involving disciplinary research, stakeholder involvement, citizen participation, political debates and advice,and public communication. TA-SWISS compiles expert-studies that examine the effects of new mtechnologies on society and economy.

Contact: Sergio Bellucci

 

Žinių Ekonomikos Forumas – Knowledge Economy Forum (Lithuania)

Knowledge Economy Forum (KEF) brings together politicians and representatives from universities, the NGO sector, and qualified business people in high – technology industries. The members of the Association are legal entities – universities, scientific research institutions, students’ organisations, business organisations and active, progressively thinking people – heads of successfully operating undertakings of the country, scientists and politicians. Knowledge Economy Forum seeks to achieve that the system of education, research and higher education, innovation system and intellectual property should be improved taking into consideration challenges posed by knowledge economy. Forum aims to disseminate the ideas of knowledge economy, promote an environment favorable to the development of knowledge economy, defend the interests of business and science and promote business, academic and government structures for cooperation in the implementation of knowledge economy development strategy, creating a transparent and open business environment to encourage free competition.

Contact: Edgaras Leichteris

 

Technologické centrum AV ČR – Technology Centre ASCR (Czech Republic)

Technology Centre ASCR was established in 1994. It is a private non-profit organization providing analytical and strategic studies on the European, national and regional level, particularly in the area of science, technology and innovation. It is experienced in using various methodologies for development of studies and analyses for research, development and innovation support, such as microdata and macrodata analyses, field research and surveys, expert interviews, bibliometric analyses or foresight. In the Czech Republic, TC cooperates with the Council for Research, Development and Innovation and several ministries.

Contact: Lenka Hebakova

 

Université de Liège, SPIRAL  – University of Liège, SPIRAL Research Centre (Wallonia, Belgium)

SPIRAL is a multi-disciplinary academic research centre of the Université de Liège characterized by a policy-oriented approach of risk analysis, the interactions between science, technology and society and public policies’ evaluation. SPIRAL conducts its research and consultancies at the local, regional, national and international levels. SPIRAL works with 4 interrelated fields of research: Science, Technology and Society (parliamentary and participatory Technology Assessment (TA), responsible innovation, functional food as well as comparative studies of science, technology and innovation regimes in Europe and Latin America); Public Policy (public policy analysis and evaluation, including support to public authorities in their continuous process of modernization); Risk Analysis (develops specific tools for identifying sources of potential harm, assessing vulnerability patterns, organizing plans of action that are required to ensure those risks are controlled at satisfactory levels); Participatory methods (conducting and researching on a variety of participation tools -focus group, scenario workshop, online Delphi, citizens conferences, open process workshop, forecast/backcast- is a transversal issue to all fields of the laboratory).

Contact: Pierre Delvenne

 

Colàiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh – University College Cork (Ireland)

University College Cork is one of the leading research institutions in Ireland with just under 20,000 full time undergraduate and postgraduate students and delivering 120 degree and professional programmes through its 60 departments. The PACITA partner, The Financial Services Innovation Centre (FSIC), is a multi-disciplinary research centre in Ireland focused on financial services, services science and innovation. The FSIC has strong links to multinational and domestic businesses in highly regulated industries such as financial services. The centre is located in the Department of Accounting, Finance and Information Systems in the College of Business and Law at UCC and can rely on the expertise of many specialists in a large variety of disciplines. The publication record and grant history of researchers in the College shows the sustained research activities carried out in the Business and Law area at UCC.

Contact: Frédéric Adam

 

Magyar Tudományos Akadémia – Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Hungary)

The Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS) is an independent public body based on the principle of self-government, established in 1825. It is the right and duty of the HAS to support the development of sciences, scientific research, the dissemination thereof; to represent Hungarian science in Hungarian public life and at international scientific fora. The scientific sections of HAS as a learned society, the Academy’s research institutes and leading bodies of the Academy are assisted in their work by an administrative secretariat, the Secretariat of HAS (HAS-SEC). The staff’s current responsibilities include rendering scientific and administrative services to the Academy’s high officials and leading bodies; providing expert advice to other national R&D policy bodies and agencies.

Contact: Gergely Bőhm