Eigenverlag/Self

Abstract:
This paper presents an overview of activities and organisations carrying out Technology Assessment and related disciplinary fields, in Central and Eastern European countries. The overview is guided by questions on research, civic participation, and policy advising addressing societal, economic, and environmental aspects of technological change in the region. The main contribution of this paper is an update on developments in the institutionalisation of TA and TA-related activities in the last two decades. It builds on previous topical work by Banse (1998a; 1999b) and is furthered by collaborations in EU projects throughout Europe and the institutionalisation of TA networks (such as the European Parliamentary Technology Assessment (EPTA) network and the globalTA network). The paper first provides a historical and political frame of the region. In a second step, we describe the critical approaches to technological innovation and the organisations analysing them. The barriers and supports to institutionalisation of TA and related activities in the region are described and suggestions for a way forward are made. Although the presentations, discussions, and feedback rounds with invited experts, as well as the literature review on which this paper is based, cannot replace a systematic analysis of all the research, participatory and advisory activities related to TA in the region, they present a step forward in the planning and pursuit of strengthening TA in these countries. From a scientific perspective, the paper provides reflections on bridging political, cultural, and economic country contexts with infrastructures for TA.This paper is the synthesis of the rich contributions to an online conference on March 21st, 2022, organised by the Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, co-hosted by the globalTA network. The participants of the conference contributed with reports on the status quo and perspectives of technology assessment and related fields in their respective countries. We are very thankful for the participants’ inputs and review comments as well as for the helpful comments of our internal and one external referee.