Following these, the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering launched a major consultation exercise exploring risks as well as opportunities.
the main report was Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering 27; the dissemination and follow-up to this is described (ands updated) at http://www. nanotec. org. uk/whathappen. htm (accessed 29/07/09;
Scenarios of US and Global Society Reshaped by Science and Technology, Oakhill Press, Greensboro, 1997 (available at http://www. josephcoates. com/2025 pdf. html (accessed 29/07/2009)).
IPTS-ISTAG, European commission, Luxembourg, 2001.27 Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering, Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies:
Opportunities and Uncertainties, Royal Society, London, 2005 (available at: http://www. nanotec. org. uk/finalreport. htm (accessed 29/07/09)).28 O. Stapledon, Last and First Men:
''Nanotechnologies and the royal society and royal academy of engineering's inquiry, Public Understanding of Science 16 (3)( 2007) 345 364.40 S. J. Wood, R. Jones
society and corporate activities. Setting a new landscape for FTA ACTIVITIES around the concept of governance, is the aim of the paper while shedding some light on the issues
Available online 26 november 2010 A b s T R A c T FTA and equity addresses the need for multiple stakeholders'participation in public policy and corporate decision making thus leading to more democratic societies.
which is a result of the transformation of societies and situations as a result of various factors including globalisation, environmental concerns, more knowledge intensive work and lifestyle.
The later discussion intends to enable the FTA COMMUNITY to reflect on how FTA ACTIVITIES can support the move towards more democratic societies and the potential impacts of FTA in governance.
but in human societies it has perceptual and physical components infecting matters relating to society, science and technology, economics, ecology, politics and value/norms:
Ulrich Beck 2 coined the term‘the risk society'in 1986, but this was some time after the UK's Royal Society embarked, in 1981, on a series of conferences on the assessment and perception of risk.
Risk and perceptions of it are closely related to fear making the proper understanding of the real physical nature of risk of prime importance to framing regulations where the politics of fear may intrude irrationally.
has begun to split society. The challenge to the conventional mantra that economic not human, development, depends on the advancement of science
societies and the natural world. By the early 1970s, the clamour for governance of S&t resulted in the formation of the PAU in the UK and the OTA in the USA;
and glocalisation themselves, have to be set against the background noise of matters that affect human societies and natural life globally:
Governance and regulatory concepts imply a modified description of what regulation is and how it works, where the regulatory limits of state authority and the potential of society to influence
and that the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision making, in ways that are responsive to the present and future needs of society.
Sheng 9 claims that there are eight major characteristics to good governance: 1. Participation by both men and women through freedom of association and expression on the one hand and an organised civil society on the other hand. 2. Consensus oriented resulting from an understanding of the historical, cultural and social contexts of a given society and community.
It requires different interests in society to reach a broad consensus on what is in the best interest of the whole community
and how this can be achieved. It also requires a broad and long-term perspective on what is needed for sustainable human development
and institutions produce results that meet the needs of society while making best use of the resources at their disposal through the sustainable use of natural resources
which depends on ensuring that all members of a given society or community feel that they have a stake in it
to promote a continuous and closer interface between the state, the economy and society. Yet, COM 10 claims that governance methods and systems have not been institutionalised on a broad and continuous basis in Europe and elsewhere.
Ulrich's 12 Critical systems Heuristics (CSH) recognises that various stakeholders in society may see situations 14 in radically different ways because different stakeholder values and behavioural characteristics lead to different boundary judgements.
and stakeholder approach has various implications for the relationships between the society, corporate industrial activities and public governance.
The implications of this approach for relationships between the society and public policy explain the shift from the government to governance.
Regarding the relationships between corporate industrial activities and society, the this new approach brought the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) concept onto the agenda,
other than their shareholders and their economic performance, to take society's, and the environment's interests into account.
and facilitate policy making taking into account the active involvement of society and the requirements of the new governance systems.
which affect society's ways of living, and to policies aiming to improve social cohesion.
and society Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a critical cross-connecting theme regarding democracy and participation in shaping corporate decisions.
they focus on the tension between business and society rather than on their interdependence. Each creates a generic rationale that is not tied to the strategy and operations of any specific company or the places in
what is good for society as a whole. One of the assumptions behind CSR is that business outcomes
principles that apply to a firm's relationship to society as readily as to its relationship to its customers and rivals.
Inside-out linkages are those that a company impinges upon society through its operations which are dependent on location.
and benefit society. Each company can identify the particular set of societal problems that it is equipped best to help resolve and from
society and corporate activity A central assumption behind innovation systems theory is that knowledge is the fundamental resource in the modern economy
brought about by the so-called risk society, are shaping innovation processes. Hence it is important to be clear that there is a need for emerging technologies to be subject to social scrutiny.
and at avoiding litigation claims through the involvement of the society in setting the standards.
and processes could support a move towards genuine governance and thus a more democratic society.
in addition, is driven increasingly by radical disruption of markets, societies and ecosystems. Firms will need to focus on themes like creativity, breakthrough innovation, entrepreneurial solutions to great challenges, like pandemics and climate change,
to improve salient areas of competitive context Responsive CSR6 Transform value-chain activities to benefit society
and process contribute to governance modes that are more responsive to risk society perceptions, values and apprehensions.
Are conventional technocratic modes of regulation yielding to governance modes that are more responsive to risk society perceptions, values and apprehensions?
Rather than just opening dialogue between science and society solely in terms of environmental or health impacts, there is a need to tackle broader social concerns such as ethical and cultural values, power relations,
7. 2. FTA for corporate decision making The challenges faced by corporations reflect the structural changes taking place in the economy and society.
and other stakeholders taking into consideration social impacts and social dimensions of its value chain in a competitive context as well as its relationships with employees, customers, governments and society at large.
/Futures 43 (2011) 279 291 287 business and society if consistently invested in social initiatives
and considerations that are emerging in the landscape of governance due to changes and transformations in society.
The greater acknowledgement of the co-evolution of technology and society, as well as the claim that FTA practices should be submitted to interpretation of their significance by the relevant disciplines of the social sciences
which explicitly deals with complex socio-technical systems and science society relationships. FTA is also an agenda-setting process aimed at providing anticipatory intelligence as basis for decision making.
FTA can fulfil its role of supporting actors in society in shaping a common future based on a shared vision among all concerned.
2 B. Ulrich, Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity, Sage, London, 1992.3 F. Soddy, Cartesian Economics:
. novonordisk. com/images/Sustainability/sr02/SR2002UK. pdf. 29 M. E. Porter, M. R. Kramer, Strategy & society:
a typology and analysis, Business and Society 36 (4)( 1997) 419 429.33 K. Davis, Can business afford to ignore social responsibilities?
40 H. Z. Evan, Seminar at Economic Commission of Europe, Warsaw, 1973.41 F. Davitaya, Changes in the Atmosphere and Some Problems of its Protection, in Society and the Environment:
factors and patterns that are pervasively causing change in society generally. The speed of change may be deemed comparatively slow
when discontinuities occur in society and government, the changes tend to be more significant because they can alter so many other domains. 2. 5. Weak signals The final key term is‘‘weak signals''.
Sub-categories (A b c) to classify Domains of Interest 1. Society & Culture Social Norms, Education, Information & Knowledge society Demographics, Urbanization, Population Health & Migration Equity, Ethical
Examples of trends by category A b c Society & Culture 66 Growth of knowledge/access and need for management Aging/labor force ratio creating tensions Negative prospects from genetic manipulation‘‘Privacy loss''as 21st century externality Pandemic risks increase Genetically designed children will be possible Dematerialisation the West
Over 70%of the trends identified by the participants have high impact on Society and Culture;
Strong emphasis again on ecology-environment and economy with Society and Culture and S&t close behind;
In contrast to the trends, the drivers are grounded more in current areas of expected leverage such as society-cultural change factors,
including R&d and energy choices we may be able to affect through our society or nation.
Examples of critical drivers by category A b c Society & Culture 46 Increased citizen participation with the help of collaborative Web tools International mobility of educated workforce improves cultural
and hoarding alters social patterns Decline of motivation in the youth cohort of industrialised and aging societies Ethics in capitalism under scrutiny Growing tribalism around national,
Clear dominance of geopolitics and security not a surprise but followed by Society and Culture some interesting possibilities;
Examples of wild cards shocks by category A b c Society & Culture 42 Rise of dogma, e g. creativism/creationism, social resistance to technological change New diseases from pharmaceutical and space
Strong classes between cultures, intensification of conflicts between cultural classes Population boom & high competition in job markets Decline of knowledge grounded in local society and history because of less direct human interaction
Examples of discontinuities by category A b c Society & Culture 10 Back to basics: nature, safety, home Personalised genomic healthcare Rapid reversal of tolerance to multicultural populations Human systems adapt to new culture of physical and biological requirements Reduced need
Lots of focus on Society and Culture=a well balanced orientation for a FTA audience; Provocative elements explored:
and somewhat uncharted directions for societies hence they represent a good cross section of global anxieties as well as global aspirations great fodder for an extended strategic conversation. 3. 2. 6. 1. Further assessment
Examples of weak signals by category A b c Society & Culture 61 Concept of rational behaviour in modernity losing value
and benefits of FTA and to help build an FTA culture across society through awareness raising''.
and anticipate the various possible futures that will guide PAGE 280 jforesight jvol. 14 NO. 4 2012 society.
as economies and societies become more globalized. Innovation is both a source of and response to disruptive transformations
and is highly dependent on developments in society but it is difficult to assess which development will take place
The Dynamics of Science and Research in Contemporary Societies, Sage Publications, London. Gordon, T. J.,Glenn, J. C. and Jakil, A. 2005),‘Frontiers of future research:
Evaluating Models for Environmental Discourse, Risk governance and Society, Vol. 10, Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht. Risk Commission (2003), Ad hoc Commission on‘‘Revision of Risk analysis Procedures and Structures as well as of Standard Setting in the field of Environmental Health in the Federal republic of germany'',Final Report, Salzgitter Federal Radiological
and undertaking cost-benefit analysis. 2. Create an enabling environment for variation by facilitating conditions that enable societies to create alternative approaches to achieve a common objective
Policy making In a complex system (which all societies are need) policy makers to recognise that systems are all about relationships and interactions between the constituent parts rather than about the details of the constituent parts.
and Ville Lauttama ki is a Researcher, both at the Finland futures research centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. low-carbon society by the year 2050.
the variety of opinions in society as well as the best possible knowledge of what is technologically feasible, economically affordable and socially acceptable.
housing and industry) in cutting down the GHG's. Other background questions related to societal conditions that affect the way different aspects of climate policy would be received in the Finnish society.
The workshop produced a considerable amount of material concerning the workings of the Finnish society
There were also positive factors in the Finnish society that favour the attainment of the climate policy goals.
and a genuine will of most members of society to work for the environment, obedience of the law, good technological know-how, abundant resources of biofuels and the infrastructure from forest to industry already in place (as a heritage from paper and pulp industry),
Publication of the report launched a wide public discussion on low emissions communities and low-carbon society,
since it is supposed not to undermine wellbeing in our society. All in all, one can conclude that using futures studies methods in public policy formulation have promising possibilities.
the level of the research groups, the technological field and the society. This three-level framework allows the analyst to study different perspectives of a specific case
and (iii) more global and diffuse, in society at large (see Fig. 3). The vertical dimension lists the three levels of aggregation.
How are the technological developments from the scientific viewpoint taken up by society? How are the technological developments from the market viewpoint taken up by society?
What are, from a market point of view, the different options and focus points? What are the results of private companies that contribute to the realization of the technology?
Society Technological field (Research group Basic research Market Fig. 2. Questions that are raised in order to address the dynamics of expectations and processes of agenda building.
and potentials of applications Articles in scientific journals Review articles that give an overview of the developments in the field Society Technological field (Research group Basic research Market Reports by NGO's Reports by government agencies Spokesperson statements
they feed expectations by various actors in society (e g.,, the public, politicians, firms. On the 5 1 nm is approx. 1/80,000 of the thickness of a human hair
nanotubes in electronic devices, the level of the society; and nanotubes as part of nanotechnology. Such a case specific typology gives a focus for each level
and is therefore useful to distinguish what the boundaries are of the case. 3. 1. 1. Society The scientific developments,
and understanding of nanotubes production and characteristics13 have led to expectations on the level of the society.
processes 3. 2. 1. Society Are the expectations (concerns) about the toxicity of nanoparticles (incl.
First, the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering in the UK have incorporated these issues into their study (commissioned by the UK government,
or society's well-being 30.3.2.2. Technological field None of the expected possible applications have come to a successful commercialisation yet.
Society Technological field (Research group Market Basic research Fig. 7. Main findings located within the three-level framework.
At the level of the society we observed open discussions on different topics. This indicates a growing attention for various aspects related to nanotubes as part of nanotechnology.
Nanotubes in electronic devices More research groups work on similar problems related to nanotube applications Society Technological field (Research group Basic research Market Fig. 8. Emerging irreversibilities located within the three-level framework.
Managing Technology in Society, Pinter, London, 1995, pp. 307 330.7 A. Rip, R. Kemp, Technological change, in:
A Technical, Political and Institutional Map of Emerging technologies, Greenpeace Environmental Trust, London, 2003, July 14 Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, Nanoscience and nanotechnologies:
in Society. The Approach of Constructive technology assessment, Pinter Publishers, London, 1995.33 R. Smits, A. Leyten, Technology assessment, Waakhond of speurhond?
Since then he has been involved in a wide range of studies in the area of technology, innovation and society.
because it is a key challenge for contemporary societies, and also because it may induce disruptive transformations in the urban planning value chain.
and the general behaviour of society have not been assessed rigorously. The lack of studies about this issue is primarily due to two major difficulties:
1. Vertical axis. Represented the potential alternative responses by society in the future to the SD concept.
The VOL. 14 NO. 4 2012 jforesight jpage 321‘‘green paradigm''is the manifestation of an environmentally aware society, in
In this scenario, Spanish society gives priority to human and social requirements over purely consumption-oriented needs.
‘‘Predator Development''represents a society that regards environmental issues as noncritical, compared to its economic and consumption requirements.
and tends to relax a society which indulges itself in exuberant consumerism. In this scenario, Spanish society is driven mainly by egocentric values.
At the national level, solidarity amongst regions has deteriorated significantly due to resistance by the wealthiest territories to share their profits with their least developed counterparts.
but at the same time, Spanish society as a whole is inclined to support sustainable development models.‘‘‘‘Back to basics''is marked by the failure of the previous development model,
In this scenario, Spanish society suffers a deep disenchantment with the socioeconomic model that prevailed at the end of the twentieth century.
while urban societies enjoy abundant resources (see Figure 4). In this scenario, public policies regarding urban development are decentralised very much at the regional and local level.
I Main scenarios indicators 2025 Indicators Measurement unit 2010 Scenario A Scenario B Scenario C Analytical methods and tools used for estimating indicators Society Population growth K
Strong decrease 535 Land-use models Society Population growth. Variation in population over a year, expressed as a percentage of the difference of the number of individuals in the total population at the beginning of that period Urban density.
Nevertheless, prospering in Scenario A will mean a major transformation in the Spanish society, as the following strategic actions illustrate:
so that society can adapt quickly to changes. B Promote an educational system that transmits the values of sustainability, innovation, social commitment and solidarity.
Spanish society is somewhat self-indulgent and very much oriented towards consumption because it feels confident that new technologies will solve most environmental threats.
and anticipate the various possible futures that will guide society. Design/methodology/approach The paper describes a series of real world examples
and social needs on the other''(Cagnin and Keenan, 2008), acknowledging thus the co-evolution of science and technology (S&t) together with society in their approach and work.
In this respect, Saritas (2011) comments that‘‘a s the complexity of societies has increased, the scope of FTA ACTIVITIES has widened to cover a wide variety of issues.
r evealing the hidden laws and processes underlying societies''(www. futurict. eu). The objective is
or knowledge databases such as Wikipedia) to construct a model of society capable of simulating what the future holds for us.
not only contribute to the process of evaluating the impact of specific laws in society, it would also render legislators
In this respect, legislators should have at their disposal the largest quantity and quality of information available about the society,
and anticipate (if not construct) the various possible future developments that will guide society. VOL. 14 NO. 4 2012 jforesight jpage 347 In this way,
Strategic intelligence for an Innovative economy, Springer, Berlin. de Smedt, P. 2010),‘The use of impact assessment tools to support sustainable policy objectives in Europe'',Ecology and Society, Vol. 15 No. 4
information on future developments of technology and its interaction with society before they are implemented widely, i e. at early stages of their development when the direction of the innovation process already can be influenced.
and the structural changes in technology, economy and society possibly initiated by them will have considerable consequences.
Bridges Between Science, Society and Policy. Technology assessment Methods and Impacts, Springer Heidelberg, New york, 2004. T. Fleischer et al./
which has in fact structural implications for the resilience of societies. In order to navigate foresight in the sea of expectations, one needs both clear sight as well as a compass.
firms should also take a share of the responsibility for educating society and promoting active citizen participation in decision-making through inclusive dialogue.
as well as for characterising the limitations of evidence-based policy-making in innovation-intensive societies and economies.
In other words, assuming that the industrial society remains as it used to be, extrapolations from demographic data lead to an unsustainable state.
if we also assume that these societies are transforming towards knowledge societies where innovation is an important economic factor.
The constitution of society: Outline of the theory of structure. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Electrification in western society 1880 1930. Baltimore, MD: The John Hopkins University Press. Jacobs, S. 2000.
Tradition & Discovery, The Polanyi Society Periodical XXV, no. 1: 29 42. Mirowski, P. 2009.
Actionable future visions Timely mitigation of negative impacts or adaptation to new situations and exploitation of positive outcomes Guidance and support for the policy process identifying impacts on society and implications for policy,
and sectors of society probabilistically to express their relevant uncertainties How to deepen dialogue with society How to improve governance Because of the dominant role of subjective opinion,
but do they remain so in the face of the political and social worlds'demands for immediacy that underlie the mode of living of modern society?
but whether society fits into the concept of‘computers and you'or‘computers or you'is a matter of social concern that is unlikely to be resolved by the turn of the century,
The orientation towards the future applies to the behaviour of individuals, groups, organisations and society as a whole (Konrad 2006.
Shaping technology in 21st century society. Towards a repertoire for technology assessment. Heidelberg: Springer verlag. Groenveld, P. 1997. Roadmapping integrates business and Technology research Technology management 40, no. 5: 48 55.
and changes in society, consumers'behaviour, and mobility (i e. cultural conditioons lifestyles, urban life trends, etc..
economics, society, and politics. A relevant example has been the development of the‘Smart'car concept.
In such a context, strategic foresight efforts at Philips aimed essentially at detecting new trends in society, technologies,
Within Philips Design, the‘Trends and Strategy'team has been devoted to the Downloaded by University of Bucharest at 05:03 03 december 2014 790 R. Vecchiato investigation of three axes‘Society'‘
which summarises the evolution of changes in society, lifestyle, and customer needs in terms of both markets and technologies.
to shareholders and to stakeholders within society, value has to be redefined. To do so, the research outlined in this paper builds upon a critical view of value creation and competitive advantage in both supply chain management and corporate social responsibility (CSR.
including nature and different stakeholders within society in one interconnected system. Such a network has to operate as a cyclical system where value is redefined from Porter's strategies, on cost leadership and differentiation,
FTA cannot remove the uncertainty that surrounds its contribution to or nature of sustainable development in the wider context of its supporting network and society as a whole.
heavily dependent on the flow of ideas, data and information into a business and its network decision-making in its place in society.
Social change implies that people within a society must change: this happens either through encounters outside the specific social system or via reflections through language (Maturana and Varela 1997.
In this context, the kind of dialogue required across a business network demands the inclusiiv participation of governments and overall societies,
However, both governments and firms should take part of the responsibility for educating society and promoting active citizen participation in decision-making, through inclusive dialogue,
New Society. Elrod, P. D.,II, and D d. Tippett. 1999. An empirical study of the relationship between team performance and team maturity.
From the single individual, passing through the organisation and its relationships, seeking to consider the overall society.
Her special interest lies in enhancing innovations provoked by societal concerns for the well-being of the ageing society and for cleaner environment.
Her current research interests are especially in sustainable energy solutions at the society. She has also been carrying on various roadmap processes.
and the anticipated (disruptive) impacts on markets and on society are difficult (although not impossible) to foresee.
Journal of the American Society for Information science and Technology 60, no. 2: 348 62. Liu, B.,N. Tang,
SRA Journal (Society of Research Administrators) 26, no. 2: 21 31. Porter, A l.,A. Kongthon,
Journal of the American Society for Information science & Technology 61, no. 9: 1871 87. Rantanen, K,
and common factors to be promoted toward the desired society. The result shows that green-related and life-related areas are two major areas where future innovation is expected.
including the creation of values in society, social or economic conditions for their promotion, and reform of stakeholders'way of thinking.
it aims to provide an overview of future impacts on our society in broader contexts. Foresight activities in Japan have changed also their objectives.
Their main role was to identify key or emerging technologies, looking into the development of science and technology and the expected changes in society.
Currently activities aim to discuss innovations that have the potential to change society for the better.
and adequately embedded in society to achieve social goals and tackle social issues. Foresight is expected to facilitate a framework for integrated knowledge. 2. The 9th Science
Considering the relation between science and technology and society along the lines of science in and for society, it is necessary to have a broad view from both the technological and social aspects.
and technology that would play an important role in drawing up a picture of future society.
science and technology to be embedded in society as a socialized system. With the discussion above and the dramatic changes occurring inside and outside Japan as a backdrop,
3. successful model for healthy-aging society; and 4. secure life. 2. 2 Delphi Delphi is characterized by repeated questions for the collective convergence of opinions,
and reframed as a form of scenes. 2. 3. 3 Future society as discussed by the younger generation.
Delphi deals with a variety of areas of science, technology and society, and therefore it contains events that are expected to make an implicit contribution
1.‘‘Realization of a low-carbon society through the active use of the Smart-grid'';
''2.‘‘World's highest level medical environment underlying a healthy society with longevity'';''3.‘‘Health information infrastructure for eliminating disparities'';
and environment on the left side can be regarded as indicating the first group of expected innovation toward resolving the challenges in the future society
The area addresses the issue of constructing a new information society system where ICT underpins the basic infrastructure of society,
bdelphi areas with strong focus PAGE 14 jforesight jvol. 15 NO. 1 2013 all the people living in the society benefit from it.
and technology is indispensable for discussing the desired future. 6. Conclusion To bring about innovation in society through the effective use of the fruits of science
The 9th Foresight exercise was conducted under the concept of contributing to the future society. The points of the exercise were diversified interdisciplinary
European commission (2004), Converging technologies Shaping the Future of European Societies, European commission, Brussels. European commission (2009), Mapping Foresight:
converging technology society'',National science Foundation, Arlington, VA. Popper, R. 2008),‘How are selected foresight methods?''''Foresight, Vol. 10 No. 6, pp. 62-89.
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