INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY-ASSESSMENT IN RESEARCH-AND-DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT-PRACTICES

This paper addresses the question of how technology assessment (TA) ca n be best integrated in the managment of R&D both at the laboratory an d the policy level. The main objective is to present a conceptual fram ework to situate and evaluate the actual and possible TA infrastructur e in Europe. The paper consists of three distinct sections. In section one, the concept and practice of TA are briefly introduced with an em phasis on their actual institutionalizations in Europe. Section two pr esents a conceptual framework of R&D managment at four levels: the R&D environment, the R&D institution, the R&D process, and the R&D projec t. The relationship between TA and R&D management is explored for each of the four levels. Finally, in section three the concept of and moti ves for TA integrated within the laboratory work of scientists and eng ineers are presented. The basic argument of this paper is that by prom oting the integration of TA in R&D managment practices, a significant contribution can be made to (1) increasing the cost-efficiency of rese arch and (2) increase the social responsiblity of scientists. The auth ors therefore draw up a conceptual framework for the development of R& D-integrated TA practices called Integrated Technology Assessment (ITA ). (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.