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TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT
by
Clive Cookson
The most important development in UK research policy over the past year has been Technology Foresight. This is a Government-sponsored programme initiated last year by William Wladegrave when he was Minister for Science.
It s intentions was "to improve the way in which the UK's scientific and technological strengths are harnessed to wealth creation and improving the quality of life". More than 10,000 researchers and market specialists in industry, universities and public laboratories were involved by means of questionnaires, seminars and panel discussions. Although other countries have undertaken similar exercises in looking at developments over the next 10 to 20 years, none were so ambitious as this one.
The outcome has been a report from 15 sector panels with 360 recommendations in all. It is impossible to summarise it adequately but the two main themes that emerged were: (a) the over-riding importance of research in communications and computing for all business sectors, many of the proposals involving applying information technology from "virtual reality banks" to bio-informatics; (b) the use of genetics to improve products and processes in health, agriculture, food and environmental protection. Further themes that came near the top of the list were research into new materials and environmental protection.
To get further progress under way, the Government is making available £40 million in the next three years for a Technology Foresight Challenge which will seek collaborative bids from universities and industry for initiatives in Foresight priority areas.
From the Financial Times, 22 June 1995