KOSEN 한인과학기술자네트워크

International Conference on Technology Foresight Report Cosponsored by the National Institute of Science and Technology Policy, APEC Center for Technology Foresight and the Tsukuba EXPO'85 Memorial Foundation, the International Conference on Technology Foresight was held on March 7 (Tuesday) and 8 (Wednesday), 2000 at Toshi Center Hotel (Hirakawa-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo). 1. Theme International Conference on Technology Foresight - The Approach to and the Potential for New Technology Foresight. 2. Purpose of the conference With growing attention directed to it since the 1990s in many countries, especially in Europe and Asia, technology foresight has been widely practiced to set up a science and technology policy and technology development program for these countries, using a variety of methods such as the Delphi approach. Under these circumstances, the international conference was held with the aim of further promoting technology foresight activities, including the utilization of result of foresight studies. 3. Participant 4. Outline (Conclusion) The following common perceptions were senn lying beneath the sessions. (1) Developing countries, as well as advanced ones, recognize the necessity and usefulness of technology foresight. (2) The definition of technology foresight which the OECD defines as "the process involved in systematically attempting to look into the longer-term future of science and technology, the economy and society with the aim of identifying the areas of strategic technologies likely to yield the greatest economic and social benefits" is almost the same for countries concerned, although it varies slightly from country to country. (3) Currently, technology foresight is developing dynamically, encouraging many countries to work out an optimal combination of techniques. It is essential for countries carrying out foresight activities to exchange opinions and information with one another. In this sense, the conference was extremly significant. (4) In developing foresight activities, the OECD initiative, or the 1994 professional conference, played a critical role in bringing us to the second generation of foresight. Today, technology foresight is developing beyond the OECD area on a global scale. Many countreis are integrating socioeconomic factors into foresight to utilize it as an effective policy tool.