Technoeconomic developments in Europe
The economic impact of new technologies in the EU is analysed and assessed in a recent new report from the European Commission's Institute for Prospective Technological Studies. Information compiled for the report concentrates on developments of great potential interest to EU policy makers. Its emphasis is on links between technology and the economic environment. Three major technoeconomic developments of 1997 are identified in the report as representing future areas of development: - At the political level, the Kyoto negotiations and ensuing protocol, signalling a qualitative shift in the way climate change is approached; - At the level of scientific research, cloning signals a new era for life sciences and health, requiring answers to emerging questions at a global level; - At the economic level, policy intervention in the marketplace on a significant global scale. The report is a baseline version, intended later to become an annual publication on policy relevant technoeconomic information. It aims at establishing the background against which future technoeconomic developments will operate. The report is structured in eight chapters: - Environment; - Health; - Education and Training; - Mobility and Communication; - Product and Process Technologies; - Services; - Biotechnology; - Information Technologies. The first five chapters analyse issues relevant for consumers and enterprises as end-users of technologies embodied in products serving vital needs. The last three chapters cover more technological developments.