Vier pijlers van maatschappelijke debat

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Our second nature : between technological control and self control

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Nanotechnologie en de nieuwe technologische golf

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The Rathenau Institute's approach to participatory Technology Assessment

During the last decade, the Rathenau Institute, the Dutch national technology assessment (TA) organisation, has build up a lot of experience in the field of participatory TA (PTA). The development of PTA within the Rathenau Institute can be told along two lines of development: public PTA and expert-stakeholder PTA. In public PTA citizens play a central role, and when experts or stakeholders become actively involved within the TA process, we speak of expert-stakeholder PTA. In section 1, these two types of PTA will be introduced, their use in different problem settings will be explained, and some design characteristics of public and expert-stakeholder PTA will be discussed. In section 2, the Rathenau Institute's experience with both types of PTA will be described and reflected upon. Typical for public PTA at the Rathenau Institute is the parallel citizens' panel. This implies that involving the public is an activity in addition to classical TA methods. Instead of replacing studies and expert workshops, public involvement in the form of a lay panel complements them. The Rathenau Institute's approach to expert-stakeholder PTA can best be characterised as interactive TA. In interactive TA the conclusions of the TA project result from interaction between the involved actors and the TA analyst. Finally in section 3, conclusions are drawn and some challenges for the future with respect to PTA at the Rathenau Institute are formulated

The Rathenau Institute's approach to participatory Technology Assessment

During the last decade, the Rathenau Institute, the Dutch national technology assessment (TA) organisation, has build up a lot of experience in the field of participatory TA (PTA). The development of PTA within the Rathenau Institute can be told along two lines of development: public PTA and expert-stakeholder PTA. In public PTA citizens play a central role, and when experts or stakeholders become actively involved within the TA process, we speak of expert-stakeholder PTA. In section 1, these two types of PTA will be introduced, their use in different problem settings will be explained, and some design characteristics of public and expert-stakeholder PTA will be discussed. In section 2, the Rathenau Institute's experience with both types of PTA will be described and reflected upon. Typical for public PTA at the Rathenau Institute is the parallel citizens' panel. This implies that involving the public is an activity in addition to classical TA methods. Instead of replacing studies and expert workshops, public involvement in the form of a lay panel complements them. The Rathenau Institute's approach to expert-stakeholder PTA can best be characterised as interactive TA. In interactive TA the conclusions of the TA project result from interaction between the involved actors and the TA analyst. Finally in section 3, conclusions are drawn and some challenges for the future with respect to PTA at the Rathenau Institute are formulated

Introduction : bio-engineering (in) the 21st century

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The public debate on cloning: international experiences

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"Small technology - big consequences" : building up the Dutch debate on nanotechnology from the bottom

The debate on nanotechnology within the Dutch community is of recent time, the last two years seeing it take off slowly but steadily. In this complex arena the Rathenau Institute has played a central role, collecting data, collating thinking, building up arguments, and organising interactive activities such as workshops, focus groups, meetings and newsletters. These all led to the first major public meeting on nanotechnology entitled "Small technology - Big consequences" held on 13 October 2004, and organised in collaboration with the parliamentary Theme Commission on Technology Policy. Nanotechnology in the Netherlands is receiving political attention. This article reviews various activities of the Rathenau Institute in the field of nanotechnology and highlights their results. It also seeks to give the reader insight into the (inter)national context in which the question of nanotechnology is being debated and the factors influencing current views on the subject