The roles of science and technology in energy and environment research anddevelopment

Countries are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of science and technology in relation to national development and the necessity of formula ting a concise science and technology policy. The need to strengthen and or ient the scientific and technological infrastructure in line with national development goals, through more effective use of an available qualified wor k force and the higher education system, is becoming widely recognized. Con sequently, appropriate methods of assessing the impact of science and techn ology on national development are needed so that efforts are concentrated o n areas potentially having substantial impacts. Numerous planning studies h ave been undertaken to this end, particularly by international organization s such as UNESCO, UNIDO, OECD and IEA. This study examines the inter-relati onships of the disciplines of science and technology with energy and enviro nment research and development (R&D) activities, particularly for developin g countries. The connections between these topics are discussed along with some basic methods that can be used to exploit the relations. Some illustra tive examples are presented. It is anticipated that the present study will serve as a preliminary step for more comprehensive work by providing an exa mple of the utilization of formal methods in formulating science and techno logy policy for energy and environment R&D. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.