Title: Foresight for European coordination: developing national priorities for the Forest-Based Sector Technology Platform

Authors: Totti Konnola, Ahti Salo, Ville Brummer

Addresses: European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, Edificio Expo, C/ Inca Garcilaso, s/n, E-41092 Seville, Spain. ' Systems Analysis Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology, P.O. Box 1100, 02015 TKK, Finland. ' Systems Analysis Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology, P.O. Box 1100, 02015 TKK, Finland

Abstract: We explore what implications the geographical dispersion of foresight participants and their regional idiosyncrasies have for the management of foresight processes. Specifically, we argue that these kinds of multi-stakeholder processes place demands such as scalability, modularity and dependability on the design and deployment of foresight methodologies. We also report a Finnish foresight process to support the development of the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) of the European Forest-Based Sector Technology Platform. This process was based on the RPM Screening methodology which consisted of the internet-based solicitation and assessment of research themes, identification of promising research themes through Robust Portfolio Modelling (RPM), and several facilitated workshops.

Keywords: foresight; innovation policy; forestry; forest industry; multicriteria decision making; MCDM; portfolio modelling; OMC; open method of coordination; technology platform; geographical dispersion; regional idiosyncrasies; Finland; scalability; modularity; dependability; research themes; robust portfolio modelling; European coordination; national priorities.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2011.041583

International Journal of Technology Management, 2011 Vol.54 No.4, pp.438 - 459

Published online: 06 Apr 2013 *

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