Journal "Technikfolgenabschätzung - Theorie und Praxis" No. 1/2004 with the focal theme on "Systems analysis and Technology Assessment as policy advice in Germany" online available [06.04.2004]
The focal theme is in honour of Reinhard Coenen, deputy director of ITAS from 1977 to 2004, who retired at the end of January 2004. The themes or studies presented are all connected with his name because he was either project leader or had a decisive role in them. The studies cover a period of 40 years and deal with topics such as the use of hard coal in Germany, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the German Space Transportation System SÄNGER, 'Integrated' Environmental Technology, Sustainable Urban Tourism (SUT), perspectives of sustainable development for Germany. The presentations offer an interesting review of the scientific and political/societal carreers of topics and open up perspectives for new themes. The focal theme ends with an article on the new challenges and prospects for systems analysis and TA in the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres (HGF).
In the Institutions section of the journal the Technology and Society Lab, Research Unit Innovation and Technology Analysis, is presented which was set up recently at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (EMPA) in St. Gallen, Switzerland. The TA-projects section contains among others a report on the main results of the EU project "TAMI - Technology Assessment. Methods and Impact"; and an article on the EU INTERACT project dealing with the implications of the proposed EU emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) on national environmental policies. The conference reports deal with a workshop on nanotechnology where material scientists, toxicologists and technology researchers discussed common questions and open research themes, and the conference in honour of Keith Pavitt "What do we know about Innovation?", which was organised by SPRU, University of Sussex.
Two articles deserve special mention: the first -- in the TA-concepts and methods section -- deals with the problem of transdisciplinary environmental research as a methodological task and reflects the possibilities of research cooperation between biology and sociology; the second article -- placed in the Discussion forum -- discusses the question of new approaches to national technology and innovation policies in times of increasing internationalisation of knowledge, technologies and industrial innovation strategies.
In the ITAS-News section of the journal three new EU projects with ITAS participation are briefly presented (see below). The TAB News report on latest developments at the Office of Technology Assessment at the German Parliament.
Links to the articles in English:
| K. Paskaleva-Shapira:Sustainable Urban Tourism: Involving local Agents and Partnerships for New Forms of Governance (SUT-Governance). Project Legacy and the New Challenges html pdf | ||||||
| J. Sijm, S. Sorrell:EU Emissions Trading in a Crowded National Climate Policy Space - Some findings from the INTERACT project html pdf | ||||||
| ITAS-News / New EU projects: html pdf | ||||||
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In addition, many of the announcements in the Events section are in English. html pdf
- Complete contents of issue 1 / 2004 of "Technikfolgenabschätzung - Theorie und Praxis" here