Marloes van Amerom
Japan has traditionally aimed to use its science and technology developments to not just foster economic growth, but also societal goals, like sustainability. But it has never formalized and institutionalized its technology assessment procedures – communicative processes facilitating the construction of political public and political opinion around the societal aspects of science and technology – through a formal TA policy, unlike many other countries. To fill this void, its Research Institute of Science and Technology set up the I2TA project three years ago. An international advisory committee was connected to it, including Rip, who works for the UT’s Science, Technology and Policy Studies research group.
‘The lack of an institutionalized TA function in Japan may lie in the Japanese Parliament’s relative lack of proactiveness around this theme thus far. Also, public participation and stakeholders input is still relatively sensitive in Japan, with a traditionally more closed culture,’ Rip explains.
On the methodology side, I2TA tried to develop a ‘third generation’ type of TA, taking into account not just input from experts ‘but also of other stakeholders like NGOs. Throughout the project there were several informal feedback loops with other TA programs around the globe, including one by MESA+; nanotechnology being an important focus in the project.
The project’s formal ending came without any ‘hard’ results. ‘Something that can be politically difficult,’ Rip concedes. But, ‘increased deliberation and political awareness of the topic are important steps in themselves.’ As witnessed in the growing involvement of the Japanese Parliament in the issue. A public meeting organized as part of I2TA’s final meeting counted four members of Parliament among its panel participants. The Parliament also aims to create a permanent TA advisory position involving I2TA researchers while its Lower House will install a special committee on Science, Technology and Innovation, following a proposal by the Clean Party to develop new types of advisory mechanisms in the realm of science and technologies. TA has also become part of Japan’s Innovation for Growth Strategy.
After the meeting the Dutch Rathenau Institute, a TA advisory body to the Dutch government organized a TA-facilitating workshop on 11 March. Rip, an invitee, left beforehand. Rather fortunately, in hindsight. ‘The Rathenau people are still stuck in Tokyo due to the earthquake,’ Rip knows. Will the earthquake and its tragic aftermath affect the political prioritization of TA issues in Japan? ‘Clearly the Japanese government has many issues to attend to now. So, the institutionalization of TA may drop down the agenda in the short term. On the other hand, the nuclear reactor problems are likely to generate renewed discussion around technologies, and the say of the public in their implementation.’
