Foresight and services: Closing the gap?

Service sectors of the economy are increasingly recognised as being importa nt innovators. However few studies of innovation systems have paid due atte ntion to services' position in these systems. The UK's Foresight programme (originally the Technology Foresight programme) provides helpful insights i nto these matters. Foresight has been art ambitious attempt to establish pr iority areas for innovative efforts, and to build new networks between inve ntors, innovators, entrepreneurs and policymakers. In this programme there has been art explicit and pioneering effort to include service sectors. The article examines how far this was successful, and what it tells us about s ervices' role in innovation systems. There is evidence that in general serv ices remained less aware of and involved in, Foresight than comparable manu facturing firms. Furthermore, some service industries experienced particula r difficulty in participating in the process. The implication is that even though many service firms are innovative, there are still obstacles to over come for many others before they can be as active as they might.