THE RISE OF MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY - FROM RHETORICS TO SOCIAL-REALITY

The policy category of 'strategic science' is enjoying increasing popu larity. Through a case study of membrane technology, as a scientific-t echnological field and as a newly-emerging 'world' of membranes, this paper shows how such policy labels and rhetorical claims are filled up , and new social realities are created. The key step is the way in whi ch promises put forward, and expectations being voiced, require actors to position themselves with respect to a future technology. Thus a sh ared agenda is built up at the same time as a 'world of membranes gels '. The rhetorical space opened up by strategic science and technology policy is then filled up by actual strategic sciences and technologies .