Rationale

1. Future-Oriented Technology Analysis (FTA) Conferences Rationale JRC-IPTS is consolidating its position as a foresight reference in Europe and a central node coordinating the community of foresight, forecasting and technology assessment. As part of this role, it has hosted three major Future-Oriented Technology Analysis (FTA) Conferences since 2004. The Conference is unique in its ambition to better understand ways to increase the impact of FTA on policy and decision making, which is in line with JRC-IPTS’s objective of combining FTA with econometric modelling for concrete applications (e.g. supporting joint programming). Three Conferences to date… 2004 - The first event was an occasion to gather the EU-US community together and discuss foresight, technology forecasting and technology assessment methods and tools. The conclusions of this event are documented in the conference proceedings and a special issue of Technological Forecasting and Social Change. 2006- The second eventattracted participants from across the globe. It had a special emphasis on the delivery of concrete and valued policy outcomes and impacts from FTA activities, and the provision of concrete recommendations to advance the FTA community and its processes. This event resulted in a book published by Springer and special issues in Technological Forecasting and Social Change, and Technology Analysis & Strategic Management. 2008- The third event arrived at various conclusions to increase the impacts of FTA activities in policy and decision making, such as: • Do not think of impacts at the end. Rather, start with the impacts and their larger implications early enough to engage clients and stakeholders in the strategic question of how FTA can improve both their preparedness and ability to move fast when the signals or threats are there. • Make sure client-policy commitments as well as communication resources are well provided and planned early in the process. This is not something to be discovered along the way. • Establish explicit expectations and measures to assess performance, understand the depth of engagement and the learning process that can be possible. • Stay connected to leadership, tacitly if necessary but formally as possible when the opportunity is there. • Keep the message simple and keep improving through rigorous pursuit of impact anddedicationto quality, insights, effective communications and innovation. • Translating and transferring FTA outputs into policy and decision outcomes is required. What for many has been accepted by many FTA practitioners as ‘post-foresight’, and hence not their responsibility, should now be recognised as integral to the FTA process. Contributions to this event are being prepared for publication in key scientific outlets such as Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Futures,Technology Analysis and Strategic Management, and Science and Public Policy. Contact: Karel Haegeman, Cristiano Cagnin and Totti Könnölä European Commission • Joint Research Centre Institute for Prospective and Technological Studies Tel. +34 954 488 428 • Fax +34 954 488 326 E-mail: karel.haegeman@ec.europa.eu