New publication of ITAS – Technology Assessment in der Weltgesellschaft [03.12.2007]

Mastering climate change, ensuring a sustainable energy supply or designing technical innovations tend to overtax the capacity of a nation to provide solutions. Current debates on genetic, nano- or medical technology repeatedly make this plain. Problem areas such as these nowadays represent challenges to world society which require new strategies for action on a global plane. One important instrument in this field is technology assessment. Its aim is to consider the chances and risks involved in new technologies and identify paths of action for successful innovation. In this, the evaluation of global technologies proves to be a particular challenge for technology assessment, too, since the latter must further develop to deal with these challenges at the level of world society. Important approaches for widening this perspective are the inclusion of a wider circle of actors in technology development and production, new forms of management and coordination in the interaction of state and society (governance), the greater consideration of different cultural contexts and the consideration of global addressees. In the current volume, well-known scientists from the field of technology assessment face the new challenges.

Bibliographical Details:
Alfons Bora, Stephan Bröchler, Michael Decker (Hg.):
Technology Assessment in der Weltgesellschaft Berlin: edition sigma 2007, Reihe: Gesellschaft – Technik – Umwelt. Neue Folge 10, ISBN 978-3-89404-940-9, 527 Seiten, 32,90 Euro

Links:

• Website of edition sigma here
• Personal Homepage: Alfons Bora, Stephan Bröchler, Michael Decker