A next wave of Technology Assessment? Barriers and opportunities for establishing TA in seven European countries

This paper explores socio-political opportunities for and barriers to introducing technology assessment (TA) as a support for science and technology (S&T) policy-making in seven European countries, most of which lack any significant TA activities or institutions. The comparative analysis is based on interviews and workshops with relevant S&T actors in the countries explored as well as an analysis of documents. The study clearly shows that any attempt to promote and establish TA has to take account of the situations in the countries explored, which differ in many respects from the situation in the 1980s and 1990s when a first wave of TA institutionalisation took place at national parliaments in Europe. Elements of 'civic epistemologies' such as a lively public debate on S&T policies are missing in some of the countries explored and S&T policy-making is busy modernising the R&D system in order to keep up with global competition.